A New Chapter in Stardew Valley
by LittleBlueNA
Summary: Chris has been stuck in a rut for too long, and one day his job at Joja Corporation becomes too much to handle. Follow along as he moves out of the city and begins a new life on his grandpa's old farm, the Blue Star. This is a story about friends, family, and love in all of its forms. Many relationships of different types will be developed and explored.
1. Leaving Joja

**Updated Author's Note:** I figured I'd add this, since I've appreciated such notes as a reader, and some things have changed from what I initially envisioned. First, this story is going to contain some of the following elements: heterosexual relationships, homosexual relationships, polyamory, and asexuality. I won't be writing lemon scenes, but the nature of the topics means I'll be bumping the rating to M so I won't be restricted in exploring them. I imagine there are going to be many open and frank discussions between the characters.

Second, Abigail is going to become involved in some way with Chris and Leah, though I'm letting it develop naturally in my mind rather than deciding on how it's going to go. I'm talking to people who have experience with these topics, and doing my best to learn about them, so when the time comes in the story I'll be able to hopefully do them justice.

* * *

The light blinked green. _Time to work_ , I thought humorlessly. Like I needed a light to remind me. Nothing about this room suggested anything other than work. Nothing about this room even allowed for anything other than work. Grey cubicles, grey desks, grey walls, grey floors, grey ceiling tiles. The light blinked off and time seemed to stand still. I looked at the light, waiting for it to come back on. It always came back on. Every second. I had timed it.

After what felt like minutes, the light blinked green again. Still time to work. Things had been worse than ever since Matthew had taken over as manager. Every time someone new came in, they had to change something. Anything. Had to be seen doing something to justify their presence, even if that meant breaking things that worked just fine. Matthew was the worst of them. He had installed the lights. Said they would improve productivity. It was like music, he said, without the distracting noise. One hundred and twenty beats per minute was the most driving tempo, he said. They just couldn't have music bleeding through to the phones. And so every second the light turned on once and turned off once. One hundred and twenty visual stimuli per minute. Because that's not distracting at all.

A tone sounded in my headset, indicating an incoming call, and a screen filled with customer information popped up on my computer. I sighed, steeled myself, and clicked the button to answer the call. "Thank you for calling Joja Corporation! My name is Chris and I'll be your personal care representative today. How may I help you?" I sounded happy on the phone. At least, I tried to sound happy. Joja didn't like it when we didn't sound happy, so I faked it. It was hard to actually care about helping customers after years of answering the same call over and over, fixing the same problem over and over, and rarely ever getting so much as a thank-you.

When the call ended, I looked up at the light again. It stayed green for what felt like several minutes before I heard someone call out over the cubicles. "Alright, we've diverted all the phones to voicemail," came the hated voice of Matthew. "Time for a team meeting!" He actually sounded happy, and I never could tell if he was faking it, or just insane.

With all the enthusiasm of professional paint-drying watchers, I took off my headset and locked my computer screen before mindlessly filing into the conference room. I didn't stand out because of my attitude, we were all interchangeable little drones, after all. All of us except for Trisha. She always had that fake smile, always spoke in that sickly sweet tone, and always sucked up to the manager of the month. "This is so exciting, Matthew. I always love these meetings, you teach us so much!" She beamed at him as she entered the room, and he beamed back. Of course she was his favorite. He'd probably recommend her to be his replacement when he moved up the Joja Corporation ladder.

Once we were all settled, Matthew rubbed his hands together and looked each of us in the eyes before starting. It was supposed to be a rapport thing, but it just got on my nerves. Finally, he pulled a small remote out of his pocket and started a slideshow presentation. Of course it would be a slideshow presentation.

"Today we're rolling out an exciting new program," he began, "designed to better integrate our customers and personal care representatives. From now on, you're not going to just be personal care representatives, you're going to be _personal_ care representatives. Each customer will have an assigned representative, and you're going to become familiar with your customers, and vice versa. Not only will this allow you to connect with each and every customer on a more personal level, it will also bring them more fully into the Joja family."

He smiled at each and every one of us again, clearly thinking this was the greatest idea ever. Never mind that customers didn't care about knowing their representatives on a personal level. Never mind that this would force customers to hold at times for even longer, waiting for their personal representative to be free. No, this was change, and change got people promoted. Matthew already had a foot out the door.

I looked around at my co-workers, and they all looked about how I felt. All except for Trisha. She was practically bouncing in her seat and clapping her hands at Matthew's presentation. He thanked her, then held up his hands to quiet the applause. It didn't matter that she was the only one applauding, he acted as if it were the entire room eating out of the palm of his hand.

"And that's not all," he continued, clicking a button on his remote to advance the slideshow. "From now on, you are all salespeople. Every customer interaction is an opportunity to upsell. Every call. Every email. Every voice message. From now on, you are all the face of _every_ aspect of the company. Customer satisfaction, sales, technical support, you name it!"

I let out an audible groan, drawing a glare from Matthew. And Trisha. I didn't care though, this was worse than the blinking work light. I had purposefully applied for this division so I didn't have to sell. I hated selling, I hated being sold to. I just generally hated sales in all its forms, and this was the worst kind of sales. I could read behind the lines, we weren't being given an opportunity to sell, we were going to be forced to try and sell on every call. If a customer called in with a complaint, we had to try and get more money out of them. I'm sure they would just love that.

An eternity later, or maybe it was ten minutes, we returned to our cubicles with new sales scripts in hand. I held my headset limply in one hand and stared down at the useless piece of paper in the other. I couldn't do this, I just couldn't. I had forced myself to come in for years and answer these phones, but this was just too much. My breathing quickened, but I wasn't getting enough oxygen. I was actually getting too much, but that wasn't registering. My chest tightened like someone was squeezing all the air out of my lungs, and it felt like my throat was closing up. _No no no, not now, not here,_ I thought to myself. I tried to control my breathing, tried to grip my emotions and force them down into that pit where I always shoved them, but it wasn't working. I could feel tears building in my eyes, and I wanted so much just to curl up and cry. _Not here, not now_ , I repeated over and over. I had felt this before, fought this before, and won before. Perhaps the only stronger feeling than the panic was the need to not be seen falling apart around others, but today that need might not be strong enough.

Crumpling the script in my hand, I threw it into the trash under my desk in frustration, then pulled open my bottom drawer where I kept my medication. I didn't like to take it in the middle of the day, but being a zombie was better than being a sobbing mess. Reaching for the bottle, I noticed the manila envelope laying underneath it. I hadn't thought about the contents for… a month? Six? It was hard to tell how much time had passed in this place.

Reaching past the pill bottle, I grabbed the envelope instead and pulled out the pictures that were inside. I saw a picture of a boy splashing around in a small pond, another where he was dressed in overalls and holding a giant cauliflower in his arms, and one where he was sitting on a porch swing, sleeping in the arms of a kindly old woman. _Man, I loved that place so much. I was so happy when we visited grandma and grandpa._

Feeling the panic subside somewhat, I set the pictures aside and pulled a smaller envelope out from the larger one. My name was written on the front and a purple wax seal that was still intact over the flap. I had kept this with me for the last ten years, never once opening it, even though at times I was awfully tempted. I remembered what grandpa had said when he gave it to me. "Be patient, my boy. Only open this when the time is right, when the world becomes too much to handle, and you feel empty inside. That will be the moment when you need what I've written here."

Feeling a tear slide down my cheek at the memory, I thought that maybe it was finally time. Hesitating, I looked up at the blinking green light, then back down at the letter in my hands. _Yeah, it's definitely time._ I slid a finger under the flap and broke through the seal, noticing that the paper inside was noticeably whiter than the envelope, having been somewhat protected from the ravages of time.

Taking out the papers inside, I took a deep breath, and began to read:

 _Dear Chris_

 _If you're reading this, you must be in dire need of a change._

 _The same thing happened to me, long ago. I'd lost sight of what mattered most in life… real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belonged._

 _I've enclosed the deed to that place… my pride and joy: Blue Star Farm. It's located in Stardew Valley, on the southern coast. It's the perfect place to start your new life. I don't know if you'll remember it from your visits when you were young, but I remember how much joy it brought to you then, and I'm sure it will do the same for you now._

 _This was my most precious gift of all, and now it's yours. I know you'll honor the family name, my boy. Good luck._

 _Love, Grandpa_

 _P.S. If Lewis is still alive say hi to the old guy for me, will ya?_

Overcome with emotion, I read the letter several times. He really left me his farm? I looked at the next few papers, and sure enough, they were legal documents. Apparently, it was being held in trust until I decided to take over. All I had to do was sign the paper and the farm would be mine.

Not even knowing how to process this, I looked up and stared at the far wall where the company motto was stenciled, right above the blinking light. Joja - Join us. Thrive. I couldn't help it. I laughed. Thriving was the furthest thing from what I was doing here. I was literally withering, like a plant without enough sunlight. Withering…

"Chris, I notice you haven't logged back into the phone system, is something wrong?"

I looked over at Matthew who was watching me with disappointment in his eyes. That was one of his favorite tactics. He didn't yell, he just got that look, and took that tone. I looked down at the letter in my hands, then at the pictures on my desk, and finally back up to Matthew. "No, nothing's wrong," I said. "In fact, I think things are finally going to be right."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it. Get back on those phones, Chris. And remember to smile. You're with Joja." He rapped his knuckles on the wall of my cubicle and started to walk away before I interrupted him.

"No, Matthew, you don't understand." I began putting the letter and pictures back in their envelope, logged out of my computer, and gathered my things from the desk drawer. "I quit."

Matthew stopped and turned around to look at me with wide eyes. Nobody quit Joja Corporation, it was the best opportunity around. It was practically the only guaranteed work in the city. "Come again?" he asked. "You can't quit, you're with Joja."

God, I hated that slogan. I had only wanted a job when I started working here, I never wanted to be in a cult. I let out a sigh, but this was different than the thousands of sighs in years prior. This was a sigh of relief, and I ended up smiling. "No, Matthew, I'm not with Joja. Not anymore. Have a good life." I slung my backpack over my shoulder and walked toward the exit. I heard Trisha gasp as if I had just committed the worst kind of sacrilege, but I didn't care anymore. Not about Trisha, not about Matthew, and certainly not about Joja. I was free.

When I got back to my apartment, I looked around at my meager possessions and decided I couldn't get out of the city fast enough. Everything here reminded me of Joja Corporation. My life had revolved completely around working there, and now that I had left, I didn't feel attached to anything. Sitting on my bed, I opened my laptop and did a Joja Search for Pelican Town. I'd need to find a new search provider as well, but that could wait. The first link came up with a very basic web page and a contact number for one Mayor Lewis. I punched the number into my phone and hit the call button, ready to get started on this new chapter in my life.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Welcome to my first attempt at fan fiction. I've never been much of a writer, but this game has inspired me for some reason, along with the quality fanfics and fan art that I've seen floating around the internet. I just don't feel like there has been enough love for Leah and Abigail out there, so I'm going to try and give them what they deserve. If things go well, I may write another story after this one focusing on some of the other wonderful characters in the game *cough*Penny*cough*.

Anyway, this story shouldn't get too crazy, and I'll be experimenting a bit with how much I want to try explaining the world. Depending on how that goes, I'll likely try more or less in the next story. I just would rather actually publish something than spending all my time worrying about it and trying to make it perfect. Updates will come when they come, setting timeframes for myself only causes me anxiety. I'm feeling pretty good about this story though, so I expect them to come frequently for the time being.

The pairing will eventually be Chris and Leah, but this story won't feature anything like love-at-first-sight, and other relationships, both platonic and romantic, are going to be explored through Chris' eyes. I hope you enjoy, and please feel free to leave comments and/or constructive criticism. Thanks!


	2. The Blue Star

I sat on the nearly-empty bus with my head leaning against the window as it barreled through the mountains. The view was enchanting, so much green extending as far as I could see. At least, until it met with the ocean I could just make out in the distance through some of the mountain peaks. Already I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and I was seeing the world for the first time. _I just can't believe how much green there is_ , I thought to myself for the hundredth time. I couldn't think of the last time I had left the city, where everything was shades of grey. _It must not have been since the last time I visited the farm, but I couldn't have been older than six years old…_

I stayed lost in my thoughts for the next hour or so, simply enjoying the scenery as it passed by. The last week had been busy, getting everything ready for my move. I had done some clothes shopping and a little bit of research into what life was like on a farm since I didn't want to go into this completely blind. I had to get out of my apartment, which cost me my deposit, but it was a small price to pay for my sanity. I also had to cancel my utility accounts and sell what few possessions I had that I wasn't bringing with me.

Speaking of possessions, I clutched my backpack to my chest. It was filled with some snacks to tide me over during the trip, a few books in case I got bored, and a rather special old leather journal. When I had met with the lawyers to claim the deed, they had handed me the journal which my grandpa had left for me. I had only perused it so far, but it seemed to be a mixture of notes on farming, the valley, his philosophy on life, and surprisingly a bit of poetry.

Below me in the storage compartment was a duffle bag full of clothes and the only other possession I had cared enough to bring along with me. My guitar. I wasn't anything special with it, but it was a creative outlet that had kept me going throughout the years. I didn't have any formal training, I just messed around with it and picked up songs here and there.

I was brought out of my musings when a pink car passed the bus, coming in the other direction. There had been very little traffic going in either direction, ever since we passed through the Calico Desert, as it seemed Pelican Town wasn't a very popular destination. I honestly couldn't remember anything about the town from my youth, no matter how hard I tried.

Finally, as the sun was nearing the horizon, the bus came to a rather sad excuse for a bus stop. There was a small overgrown strip of sidewalk, a machine to purchase tickets, and that was it. Not even a bench or a covering to take shelter from the rain, and the path leading into town was just a barely-visible footpath through the wild grass.

As I gathered my things, I noticed a woman standing outside, and wondered if she was waiting for me. She was dressed in brown boots, green jeans, and a yellow shirt with a brown vest. Her amber hair was pulled back into a short ponytail with a few strands framing her face, and it caught the light of the sun, almost seeming to have caught fire. She had a friendly smile on her face that reached her green eyes, the sort of genuine smile that I hadn't seen in a long time. She was beautiful in that not-trying-at-all kind of way and seemed... approachable.

"Hello! You must be Chris," she said. "I'm Robin, the local carpenter. Mayor Lewis sent me here to fetch you and show you the way to your new home. He's there right now, tidying things up for your arrival." She watched as I pulled my duffel and guitar case from under the bus, and offered to carry my bag for me. "The farm's right over here, if you'll follow me," she said, wasting little time in getting them moving. I followed her to a slightly more well-established path that led off to the west, and she made polite conversation as we walked the mile or so to the farm.

When we arrived at the farm, I could hardly believe my eyes. The place was overrun with wild grass, weeds, rocks, and trees. I could see a lake not too far off, but it was closer and smaller than I remembered. Overall, it seemed the forest had reclaimed the farm in its years of disuse, and the small farmhouse looked pretty beaten up. I really hoped this wasn't our destination. _Maybe a neighboring farm?_

"Here it is, the Blue Star," said Robin, dispelling that hope, and I began to freak out inside. Something must have shown through because Robin turned to me with a bewildered look on her face. "What's the matter?" she asked. "Sure, it's a bit overgrown, but there's some good soil underneath that mess! With a little dedication, you'll have it cleaned up in no time!" She said all that with an encouraging tone, and I found myself somewhat soothed by it. Robin had an easy presence about her, and I didn't find myself struggling with the company of a stranger in the way I usually did.

Just then, an older man walked out of the farmhouse. He wore brown pants with matching suspenders over a green button-up shirt and a gaudy yellow tie. A brown flat cap adorned his head, covering neatly-trimmed grey hair. He sported a wide grey mustache but was otherwise clean-shaven. "Ah, the new farmer!" he declared with a wide smile on his face. He walked up to me and gave me a good look. "Welcome! I'm Lewis, Mayor of Pelican Town. We spoke on the phone last week. You know, everyone's been asking about you. It's not every day that someone new moves in. It's quite a big deal!" He nodded at Robin, then turned to look at the farmhouse. "So, you're moving into your grandfather's old cottage. It's a good house, very rustic."

Robin and I turned to look at the house as well, and I couldn't help but notice that it seemed to have good bones. What looked to be locally-sourced lumber made up the siding, and even after all these years, the red shingles gave it a distinctive look, complementing the grey stone chimney quite well.

"Rustic? That's one way to put it," commented Robin, stifling a laugh. "Crusty might be a little more apt, though."

Mayor Lewis jumped at the comment. "Rude!" he exclaimed, but Robin just held a hand to her mouth, failing to stifle her laughter.

"Don't listen to her, Chris. She's just trying to make you dissatisfied so that you buy one of her house upgrades," said the mayor. Robin's eyes went wide at the comment, then she crossed her arms and pouted. Nonplussed, the mayor continued. "Anyway, it's late and you must be tired from the long journey. You should get some rest. Tomorrow you ought to explore the town a bit and introduce yourself. The townspeople would appreciate that."

The mayor began to walk off, before turning back. "Oh, I almost forgot. If you have anything to sell, just place it in this box here. I'll come by during the night to collect it, and leave your payment the next day. Well… good luck!" he said, and then he was heading off down the path toward town, Robin following behind him.

Just as I turned to enter the cottage, I remembered the letter from my grandpa. "Mayor Lewis!" I called out. He turned in surprise to look at me. "I, uh… grandpa left me a letter… and, well… he said to tell you 'hi' for him."

The old man's eyes went wide, and his mouth opened as if to say something, but nothing came out. After a moment, a smile crossed his face, and he nodded at me before turning back and continuing on his way. I saw a smile on Robin's face as well.

Tired from the trip, I entered the cottage and promptly fell onto the bed. In the back of my mind, I noticed that the bedding smelled fresh and seemed new. _I'll have to thank someone for that_ , I thought, even as I began drifting off to sleep.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** A little bit shorter of a chapter, but I didn't want to combine it with the next one. First, it was getting too long, and second, I don't want to have too many introductions per chapter. I want Chris' familiarity with the townsfolk to evolve in a natural way. I have one more chapter that I had already written a rough-draft for, then I'll be back to playing the game for inspiration. I'm already having fun playing the game as Chris, instead of my normal method of power-gaming. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, and apologize for taking two chapters for basically prologue, but things should start deviating from the norm and getting more interesting from here on out.


	3. Meeting Abigail

I was woken the next morning by the crowing of a rooster. I found this strange as I didn't have any animals on the farm that I was aware of. Stretching and getting out of bed, I was surprised to see a package on the floor near the door, and a set of old, worn tools leaning against the wall, and all thoughts of phantom roosters went out of my mind. _Strange_ , I thought, _I don't remember seeing those last night. Maybe I was just too tired from the trip._ Rolling out of bed, I made my way over to the box, put it on the small table near the back wall and began opening it. Inside I found some seed packets and a note from the mayor. _Here are a few things to get you started_ , was all it said. Looking at one of the packets, I was relieved to see instructions, even if they were very basic. Use a hoe to till the soil, gently bury a seed a few inches down, then water every day until the crop is ready to harvest. Seemed simple enough.

Looking around the small cottage, I took in the sparse furnishings. There was a fireplace in one corner, which would certainly come in handy during the winter. A simple oak table and a single chair sat underneath a window, with a small painting of what looked to be the local landscape hanging on the wall. Tucked away in the far corner was an old tube-style television sitting on an oak tv stand, and a potted plant that must have been just brought in sat near the doorway and faded red entry rug. The only other feature was a door leading to a small bathroom. What stood out the most was the lack of any kind of kitchen. No fridge, no stove, no cupboards. _How did grandpa eat? There's not even a microwave!_

After grumpily eating a couple of snack bars from my backpack, I headed outside to get started on the farm. I planned on planting the seeds the mayor had given me, then heading into town and purchasing some more, along with some non-perishable food. Deciding to leave the more difficult work for later, I began clearing a small area close to the cottage, pulling weeds and doing my best to clear the wild grass with the scythe. I then used the hoe to till up the dirt in an area roughly six feet by twelve. Carefully poking holes in the dirt and placing seeds inside, I finally covered them and used the watering can to water each seed. When I was done with that little bit, I stood and stretched my back, wincing at how my arms and spine felt like jelly and glanced at my watch. _Two hours of not-even-hard work and I'm completely exhausted. I'm out of shape._

Not having any other pressing work to do at the moment, I headed inside to freshen up and change my shirt, then hefted my backpack and started walking into town. I moved at a leisurely pace, not wanting to tire myself out any further, and stopped often to rest and enjoy the views. At one point I noticed some wild leeks growing close to the path, recognizing them from a page in my grandpa's journal. I picked one that looked riper than the others and stowed it in a pocket of my backpack before continuing. Nearly two hours after I set out, I suddenly stepped out of the forest and practically into the center of town.

It was a quaint place, smaller than I had imagined. A paver stone path suddenly appeared, leading to the town square in one direction, and up the hill in another. I made my way to the town square and took a look at the buildings that were in sight. To the south and east were a few of houses from the look of them, and just on the north end of the square was a shared building. One side had a red cross above the door, and the other a handmade sign saying Pierre's. Having seen the name on the town's website, I knew that to be the general store and headed in that direction.

Just before I reached the door, I saw a notice board with a calendar and what looked to be a job board. The job board was empty, but the calendar had several birthdays and town events listed. There were also a few pieces of cute artwork taped to the board that made me smile. Some looked like they had been drawn by a child, but some were truly extraordinary pieces. I liked the thought that somebody had taken the time to make something nice just to share it with the town.

When I opened the door to the general store, an old-fashioned doorbell rang when the door hit it. An honest-to-goodness bell, not some electronic contraption. I found that more entertaining than I probably should have. Inside the store were a half-dozen shelves to my right, carrying a wide range of goods, and a small amount of fresh produce was on display to my left. I wondered where they got the produce as spring had just started, but quickly chalked it up to being a secret of the trade. In the back, behind the main counter, was a tall man with brown hair and wire-rimmed glasses. "Welcome to Pierre's," he said with a genuine smile. "You must be the new farmer," he added, walking around the counter and extending a hand. _What is it with this town?_ I asked myself. _I've never seen so many smiling people all in one place before._

"That's me, name's Chris," I said, shaking the man's hand. His grip was strong and his hands were rough, unlike mine. _Well, that will change soon with the amount of work I have to do on the farm,_ I thought _._

A portly gentleman was browsing among the shelves, occasionally picking out an item and putting it in a canvas bag. Pierre waved him over. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Chris. I'm Pierre and this is Gus, the proprietor of the Stardrop Saloon."

Gus waddled over and shook my hand as well. He was wearing a yellow jacket over a blue sweater, and purple pants of all things. _I know it's cool in the mornings, but he sure is dressed warm_ , I thought to myself. "Good to meet you," Gus said with a drawl. "Stop by the saloon anytime after noon, best place in town for fresh cooked meals, or a drink after a hard day's work."

Pierre chuckled at that. "It's the only place in town for hot food, so technically he's right." Gus scowled, but Pierre continued. "Gus is a terrific chef though, and the saloon is sort of the town's meeting place at nights, especially on the weekends."

Gus sniffed, "You got that right. Tell you what, seeing as you're new and all, your first meal's on the house. Stop by some evening to meet the other townsfolk and kick off your boots." He laughed at his little joke, his second chin jiggling as he did. "Figuratively speaking of course. No shoes, no service. Anyway, I'm just getting some supplies, then I have to get back and start cooking. Don't be a stranger," he said, handing Pierre some bills, then headed out the door.

"So, what can I do for you?" asked Pierre, pocketing the money. He didn't even take a look at what Gus had taken from what I could tell, first appearances made it look like they did things the old-fashioned way here. "I imagine you need quite a few things for the old farm, especially some seeds to get you going. Do you have some idea of what you want already?"

I shook my head and followed Pierre over to the seed display. "I've done some research, but what I really need to do is figure out how to maximize my funds. I need to make my first harvest really count. Would you happen to have a price list for seeds and crops, along with growing times for each?"

Pierre's eyes lit up at the request. "Ah, you're a numbers guy, I respect that. It's been a while since we've had a proper farmer in the valley, but I drew this up when the mayor said you were coming to take over your grandpa's farm." He reached behind the counter and pulled out a single sheet of paper, then looked at Chris with a hard-to-read expression on his face. "I hope you don't mind me saying, but old man Davies was a hell of a person, second only to that lovely wife of his. The community hasn't been the same since they left us."

I didn't know exactly how to respond to that, nobody I knew had known my grandparents, and my voice caught in my throat. "Uh… thanks. That… that means a lot," I said, hating how my eyes got a little watery.

Pierre smiled and clapped me on my shoulder before clearing his throat and turning back to the seeds. "Anyway, this is what I've got in stock for the spring. I've listed everything's seed price, as well as the minimal price I'll pay for harvested goods." When I looked ready to ask a question, he beat me to it. "That's just the bare minimum I'll pay. The higher quality crops you manage to grow, the more I'll pay. Let's see, I've also listed the expected growing times, along with your expected earnings per day." As he said those words, he turned to look at me appraisingly, as if he were considering whether or not he wanted to add more. "Listen, Stardew Valley is a special place. Things grow here faster than anywhere else in the Republic. I don't know if I should say this or not, but there was always something special about the Blue Star, even by our standards. I don't know if it was old man Davies, or the land itself, but crops always grew quicker for him than they had any right to. If things are the same for you, then you can cut the growing times in half. Just something to keep in mind."

My eyebrows rose at that. I had visited grandpa's farm a few times growing up, but I was just a child. I spent my time playing and exploring, not learning the trade. From what little research I had done before moving out here, I didn't think anything like what Pierre was saying was possible, but the man seemed sincere, and I couldn't see any upside to him lying to a new supplier. Maybe grandpa wrote something about it in his journal, I'd have to check later. Still, I would plan for the normal growing times, anything else would just be icing on the cake.

"A few more things to keep in mind before you decide what you want," he continued, pointing at the printout. "First, the crops in this table all have to be replanted after each harvest, while those in this table can be harvested again and again throughout the season. That means if you were to plant green beans halfway through the season, you'd barely make any profit. Second, I'm going to have strawberry seeds for sale at the annual egg hunt festival, which is on the thirteenth. That's why I have them listed separately at the bottom. I wish I could offer them now, but I can't get them any earlier in the season, and I always sell out the same day they come in. Even though you'll only have roughly two weeks to grow them, they're still the most valuable crop of the season. I mention this so you can plan your harvests to have some cash on hand to buy them at the egg hunt." That was good information to have, and if I somehow managed to save some seeds for the next spring, they would be an incredibly valuable strategy.

"And the last thing is that I'll be giving you a discount today, twenty percent off any seeds. Consider it a housewarming gift. Anyway, I'll leave you to it, just let me know if you need anything else," said Pierre, returning to his spot behind the counter and starting in on some paperwork. I stood there for a few minutes, looking over the list, before pulling out a pocket planner.

"Hey Pierre, if I brought in something the morning of the egg hunt, would you be able to buy it so I could purchase some strawberry seeds?" I asked. I wasn't going to count on anything magically growing double-time, so the answer would be of huge importance since several of the crops were listed as needing twelve days to reach maturity. If he wouldn't have time, it looked like parsnips would be the only thing I could grow in time.

Pierre scratched his cheek as he thought. "Well, it's a busy day for me, not to mention a special celebration for the family, so I don't normally buy anything. You're new though, and I want to see the old farm running again, so I'll tell you what. If you bring anything in that morning, I'll give it a quick look, and offer you eighty percent as store credit for the strawberry seeds. We can settle the rest of your tab the next day when I have time to properly evaluate whatever you bring in. How's that sound?"

I smiled at the man, genuinely surprised at his offer. Years of working at Joja Corp. had made me forget that there were decent people in the world. "That's great, thank you so much," I replied, before turning back to my planner. I briefly considered heading back to the farm to work up a spreadsheet on my laptop, but I was already tired from the morning work and didn't think I'd be up for another trip into town. That reminder of my limitations brought up another consideration. I could purchase parsnips, harvest them quickly, and use the profit to buy even more, growing the number of parsnips on the farm exponentially. However, I was limited by time, energy, and space on the farm. The theoretical best approach wouldn't necessarily be the pragmatic best approach.

Another thought struck me and after giving it some consideration I gathered some seed packets, doing the math in my head as I went along. I then headed over to the shelves to purchase a few food items to keep me going before heading to the counter. "You've decided then?" asked Pierre. "Let's see, you've got potatoes, kale, parsnips, and... tulips?" The store owner looked at me with his eyebrows raised. "You saw that there's practically no money in those, right?"

I simply smiled and nodded, thinking back to what grandpa had said about the farm, and what I remembered from when I visited as a child. The farm had always been a beautiful place, and grandpa had always kept a garden as well. I didn't imagine that they were more profitable back in the day, but I realized that he had grown them because they were beautiful. The farm wasn't about maximizing revenue. No, that felt like Joja Corp. philosophy. It was about being connected to nature. I didn't need spreadsheets to know what grandpa would have wanted, and something about the decision just felt right to me. There would still be more than enough profit from the other crops. I voiced that opinion to Pierre, and the man smiled at me and rang me up. "With your other items, that will be four-hundred gold," he said, and I counted the bills out of my wallet, leaving myself with a hundred gold left over. I was really going to have to stretch that until I was able to bring in my first harvest.

Just then, a door in the corner that I hadn't noticed before opened, and out stepped a young woman, looking like she was in her early twenties. She had long, purple hair, and piercing blue eyes. Not even mentioning the hair, she had a distinctive look, wearing a sleeveless blue jacket over a dark grey tank top with matching leggings worn under black cutoff jeans. She had a scowl on her face that vanished when she saw me, her plump pink lips pursing as she looked me over. I realized I had been gawking and shifted on my feet awkwardly, diverting my eyes. "You must be the new farmer," she said, walking toward me.

Pierre looked up at hearing her voice and introduced us. "Chris, this is my daughter Abigail. Abigail, this is Chris... Davies?" he asked, looking at me for confirmation. I nodded and he continued, "He's taking over the Blue Star."

I held out my hand to Abigail, and she shook it with a surprisingly strong grip. "Nice to meet you farmer boy," she teased. "I've always loved that place, I enjoy walking through those overgrown fields and sitting by the lake. I hope you don't mind if I visit?" she asked. There was a hopeful look in her eyes, as if she were afraid I would say no. It wasn't like it would hurt anything, and from the sound of things she had been enjoying the place longer than I ever had.

"Not at all," I responded with a smile of my own. "I wouldn't say no if you wanted to help out with some weeding either."

She laughed at that and briefly put a hand on my arm. "Hmmm, maybe. The company might not be terrible." She withdrew her hand and gave a little wave. "I'm going for a walk, see you later farmer boy," and with that, she left the store.

Hearing a sigh, I turned to look at Pierre. His face was one of half dejection, and half the look that all fathers gave to boys around their little girls. I hoped he wasn't going to be mad at me for flirting with his daughter. Was that even flirting? I really couldn't say, it felt like it had been ages since I had even thought about going on a date. I was brought out of my thoughts when Pierre spoke up. "I never know what to do with her, I can't keep up with her moods. At least she's happy today…" He trailed off, looking out the window, before focusing on me. This time the dejection was gone, and his face was stern. "I'm not blind or dumb, so I'm going to be frank with you, Chris. There aren't a lot of people her age around here, especially not boys worth half a damn, and if you're anything like your grandfather, you're probably worth several. I don't know if you two are going to be friends or what, just... be good to her, alright?"

I stood there awkwardly for a moment. Was I really getting the 'don't hurt her' speech already? Sure, she was beautiful, but I didn't know anything about her and didn't know if either of us would like the other in that way. I looked closer at Pierre and saw the worry he had for his daughter. I guessed in a small town, even seeing your child lose a potential friend could be something to worry about. It wasn't like there were a lot of options. "Of course," I said, finally. "It would be nice to make some friends around town, and I was brought up to respect women." I cringed slightly at that wording, he probably didn't want to think of his daughter as a woman.

Pierre sighed again. "Let's just go back to where I'm the store owner and you're my new produce supplier, why don't we?"

I chuckled, "I can do that. Speaking of which, I was wondering if you're interested in foraged goods?" I pulled out the leek I had found on my way into town. Pierre looked it over, eyebrows raised.

"Wow, this a real beauty. Yeah, there's quite a bit that grows in the valley. In the spring, you can find leeks, horseradish, spring onions, some mushrooms, and daffodils and dandelions. There's also a brief period where you can find salmonberries growing on bushes a little later in the season." He took the leek from me and gave it a sniff, as well as squeezing it to check its firmness. "There's not much demand for spring onions or salmonberries, you'd most likely be better off keeping them to eat, but the rest I'll buy from you. I'll make up a price list for you, but for the moment, I'll give you seventy-five gold for this. It's a particularly nice specimen, and I know someone who's especially partial to leeks."

I raised my eyes at the price, doing a little math in my head, and grabbed a few more seeds. With the discount, he'd be coming out slightly ahead, but I didn't mind. "Really? That's great, I'll definitely keep my eye out for more of those. I'll take these blue jazz seeds as a trade, then." Pierre nodded and marked down the trade on his ledger.

After bagging up my purchases, Pierre wished me a good day and I went back outside, momentarily stunned by the sun. While I blinked my eyes, I heard a voice coming from my right.

"About time, farmer boy."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** This is as far as I've made it so far, and I can't tell you how excited I am to write the next chapter. I've seen quite a few depictions of Abigail, and she's managed to grow into something special in my mind. I hope people end up enjoying my interpretation of what she could be. While she isn't going to be the main romantic interest(I don't know if she'll even be a romantic interest at all), I do plan on having Abigail feature very prominently in this story. Thanks for reading!


	4. Touring the Valley Pt 1

"My name is Chris, you know." I said.

"I know," she replied with a smirk."I just like calling you farmer boy. Got a problem with that?"

I just shook my head and decided to change the subject. "I thought you were going for a walk?"

She beamed at me and wrapped her arms around my own. "Absolutely, I was just waiting on my escort to show up. Now that he's here, how about I show you around the town?"

I blushed lightly from the contact and looked down and the bag of seeds I was carrying. _It's not all about the farm_ , I reminded myself. _It's about community and friends too._ "Sure," I said, returning her smile. "I just need to make sure I get back in time to do some more planting, before it gets too dark."

"Great!" she exclaimed, and began half-leading me and half-dragging me up the stairs leading north from the town square. Before long we came to a peaceful little fountain, surrounded by a few benches and with a picnic table nearby. I stopped when we got to the fountain, but Abigail apparently had something else in mind and kept pulling me further north. After passing a few trees and bushes, I saw a playground come into view. She let go of my arm and practically skipped over to the swingset, claiming a swing for herself.

"Really?" I asked as she sat down.

"Really. Come and join me farmer boy," she replied, leaning back and closing her eyes as she gently swung forward and backward. I sat down in the only other swing and joined her in the activity. I was surprised, expecting to feel childish, but it was nice. The rhythmic squeaking of the metal chains was relaxing, and the sun felt nice on my face. We fell into an easy conversation after that. I learned that she enjoyed playing retro video games since she found newer titles too difficult. I told her that I used to be big into games, but hadn't had the time for it in recent years. She told me that she was attending university online part-time, but just doing general studies at the moment. When she asked me about my own education, I admitted that I had taken generals, but hadn't found anything that really caught my interest and made me feel like I was willing to spend years more studying it. She asked what I had done since then, and I told her I worked for a megacorp as a faceless drone until I couldn't take it anymore and moved to my grandpa's farm.

After a while, Abigail got up from the swing and grabbed my hand, pulling me up as well. "Come on, there's still more to see!" she said, before dropping my hand and leading the way. I felt a twinge of disappointment at the lack of contact but tried not to read too much into it. Abigail seemed to be a tactile person, and it wasn't her fault that I had been isolated for so long. We walked east toward a large, dilapidated building. "This is the old community center," she explained. "It used to be the hub of the town when I was little. There was a little library, a craft center, and a dining hall where we would gather on the weekends for potluck dinners. It's sad to see it like this now, but I guess it just became too expensive to maintain. I even heard a rumor that they might end up selling the land."

In a much more somber mood, Abigail again led me further east, toward the sound of rushing water. We found ourselves standing on the edge of a bit of a cliff, looking down at a crystal-clear mountain stream as it rushed toward the ocean. "Come on," she encouraged, leading me toward a wooden stairway that led down to the water.

I couldn't believe how clear the water looked, and it was easy to see fish swimming up and down the river. "It's beautiful," I said. "We didn't have anything like this is the city."

Abigail smiled, "Just wait, this isn't even the best part."

She led me north along the riverbank, which got quite narrow at one point, and up to a small waterfall, about twelve feet high. Just as the river narrowed, there were a couple of planks set across the water. Abigail hummed to herself as she started walking across, and I stepped forward, worried about the makeshift bridge. "Don't worry," she said, twirling in the middle of the bridge. "It's sturdier than it looks, as long as you aren't clumsy," she added with a laugh.

She looked pretty steady on her feet, but I still worried. I could feel the mist from the waterfall and could imagine that the wood could be slippery when wet. A tumble into the water wouldn't be life-threatening this time of year, but it would certainly be miserable. Seeing my hesitation, she walked back toward me and held out her hand. "Come on, don't be a baby about it, farmer boy." If I was honest, the planks were pretty wide and didn't offer much of an obstacle. It was more the psychological aspect to it, and I had to respect her for being so confident. I took her hand, and why not? If a pretty girl was going to offer, I wasn't going to refuse, and then I followed her out across the planks.

"You're just showing off now," I accused, as she walked backward across the river.

"Maybe," she said, "but close your eyes and listen. Feel. She then dropped my hand, turned, and quickly strode to the other bank. "Besides, if you're going to complain about it though, I'll leave you to your own devices."

I glared at her as best I could, then closed my eyes and did as she said. I felt the gentle spray of water, the soft but powerful sound of the waterfall, and a few birds chirping in the distance. Opening my eyes, I smiled and crossed at a slightly slower pace than she did, visibly relieved when I made it across without slipping or having the lumber break.

Abigail laughed at the expression on my face, then started walking south. "We have to be quiet for this next part, we're heading into enemy territory." All hints of joking were gone, and I wondered what had her so serious, but it didn't take long for my question to be answered. Soon enough I saw a large blue building, a very familiar sort of blue building, with a large sign out front with those dreaded words printed large for everyone to see. _JojaMart - Join us. Thrive._

I wasn't sure how seriously to take Abigail, but I knew right away that this was Pierre's competition, and I knew how Joja operated. They would open a new location and offer lower prices than their other stores for the first year or two, operating at a loss. Local businesses couldn't absorb those kinds of losses, and would usually go out of business, leaving Joja as the only operation in town. No, I didn't know how seriously Abigail took Joja's presence, but I gritted my teeth and picked up my pace.

Abigail called after me in surprise when I passed her, but I didn't slow down. I had no idea Joja Corp. would be in Pelican Town and being surprised like that really threw me for a loop. I didn't do well with surprises, I needed to know what was coming and have time to plan for it. I got lost in my mind, and after trying to get my attention a few times, Abigail quieted down and just followed close behind me. I continued walking until we came to a grove of trees that hid the building from view, and I leaned against the fence, looking out over the river and the rest of Pelican Town.

"Are you okay?" she asked after a minute, studying my face. "I'm sorry, I didn't know that would upset you like that."

I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye, seeing the worry on her face, and let out a deep breath. _Why is everyone here so damn nice?_ I wondered. _Nobody in the city would have given a damn about that._ "No, I'm sorry. I just wasn't expecting that," I offered. "Remember that megacorp I said I worked for in the city?" I waited for her to nod, then raised my eyebrows until she connected the dots.

"Oh. And you came here specifically to get away from them," she observed.

"Exactly," I answered. "I thought of anywhere, a small little farming and fishing town would be safe from their influence. I guess I was wrong," I added with a bitter laugh.

"Yeah, we're not exactly fans of them either, but what can you do? Even we have to shop there for things that dad can't carry in the store. The only thing they don't undercut our prices on seeds, but I think they're afraid the town might fail altogether if dad's goes under completely," she mused.

I looked at Abigail slightly surprised. She came across as relaxed and carefree, but she seemed to have quite a brilliant mind as well. "You're right about that. If the town were larger, they'd be even more ruthless, and would without a doubt drive your dad out of business. But if they did that here, your family would probably have to leave. Not only is that fewer customers for them, but fewer customers for everybody else in town. Less money changing hands means fewer sales for Joja, and without enough sales, they can't sustain an operation this far out."

A thought crossed my mind, and with it, a frown crossed my face. I looked at Abigail to see if she had made the connection and saw her watching me expectantly. "With a new, full-time farmer in town though, that's a lot more seeds being bought, a lot more produce being sold, and a lot more transactions being made. They might think the Blue Star is enough to keep them going without Pierre's, at least once the farm is well established again." I kept my eyes on her as I spoke to see if any of this was a revelation to her, but she just nodded along and kept listening.

I let out another sigh and turned to face her. "Listen, I don't know if this is just something you're worried about, or if your parents are as well, but I'll tell you this. I'll never buy anything from Joja. If I can't find it elsewhere in town, I'll go without. As far as I'm concerned, they don't even exist."

Abigail looked at me, surprised by the statement, but when it was clear how serious I was, she squealed and threw her arms around me. "Thank you, it means so much to hear that." She pulled back and gave me a tearful smile. "I'm not worried for me, but I'm worried for my parents. I don't know if my dad has realized it yet or not, and I don't want to stress him out if he hasn't… it's just…" she trailed off, looking out over the water with a slight blush on her face. "Why?" she finally asked in a smaller voice than he had heard her use so far.

"Why what?" I asked, only slightly sure if I had the right idea of what she meant.

"Why would you make that promise? I know you went to university, I'm sure you've studied economics. Surely you know about things like market efficiency, economies of scale, and comparative advantage. I know it sucks for the little guy, but big operations have their advantages. It could really help you turn a profit at the farm..." she trailed off, as if she were afraid she was going to convince me.

Again, I was impressed by her intellect, most of my classmates hadn't even grasped those concepts while they were being taught. I leaned back against the fence and looked out over the river as well, choosing my words carefully. "I already told your dad that I wasn't here exclusively to chase profits. I've had enough of 'Only the Numbers Matter' to last a lifetime. I've only been here for half a day and I've already seen a stronger community than I ever experienced in the city. Hell, I think I've made a better friend than I've had in years. Yeah, I have to turn a profit at the farm, but those other things have value too."

I heard a slight sniff from my side and felt her bump my shoulder. "You're such a dork, but I guess you're not so bad." She stepped forward and stood in front of me, looking me over with an appraising eye. "Yeah, I think we'll keep you. Now come on, there's still a lot more to see."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Well, that's the first half of Abigail and Chris' first adventure. I wasn't expecting to break this up into two chapters, but I'm finding the character have a life of their own. Next up will be part two, where Abigail finishes showing Chris _most_ of the rest of the valley.

I know it's probably best to have a plan, but I'm really just writing this chapter by chapter as it comes to me. I have no problems with revising previous chapters, so it might be something I often do. For instance, I realized I didn't do anything to describe Chris physically, so I'll likely go back and find a place to add a little imagery for that. As always, comments and constructive criticism are welcome, and thanks for reading!


	5. Touring the Valley Pt 2

I let out a relieved chuckle at the way Abigail managed to steer us back in a safer direction, topic wise. I wouldn't say it was inherently a bad thing talking about personal, heavy things like that, but it was a new experience for me. I was quickly realizing that the people of Pelican Town, at least the ones I had met so far, were going to take some getting used to. When someone in the city asked how you were doing, it was only because it was polite and expected, or a calculated attempt to earn some kind of social currency to cash in later. Here though, people were the type to ask because they actually cared and wanted to know.

I was brought out of my thoughts when my new friend - _A friend, that's going to take some getting used to as well_ \- walked over to the riverbank and pointed across the way to a blue house with a grey roof. "That's where Alex lives with his grandparents. He's around our age, but he and I don't really have a lot in common. He's really into sports and spends most of his time training so he can go pro."

Her arm moved to the left, indicating a small trailer closer to the river. "That's Pam and Penny's place. Penny's a sweet girl, she tutors the local kids since there isn't a school for them nearby. She's probably the kindest person in the whole town, you'll like her. Pam is… well, you'll meet Pam eventually. Just… things have been hard for them lately, so try not to think too harshly of her."

I listened closely as Abigail described the townsfolk. She seemed to have a decent grasp on people and presented them in a non-judgemental way. It would have been easy for her to talk about Alex as being a _jock_ , for example, but she just stated the facts and moved on, even though they didn't sound like the best of friends.

"That roof you can barely see in the distance is the saloon, it's just across the way from dad's shop. Ever since the community center closed down, it's become the de facto gathering place. Most of the locals stop by for at least a short visit at night, and it's pretty lively on the weekends. Don't let the name give you the wrong idea either, Gus makes good food, and there's a side room for the younger people. It's got comfortable couches, arcade machines, a pool table, and a TV. Quite a few of us hang out there most nights, you should join us when you're not too busy growing rocks and weeds."

I let out a laugh at that, she wasn't lying when she said she spent time on the farm. I had actually been wondering about the rocks a little. It made sense that trees, weeds, and wild grass had overtaken the land, but the rocks and boulders? Where did they come from anyway? I shook my head, now wasn't the time to think about things like that. I could ponder the mysteries of the valley during the long and lonely nights on the farm, rather than when I was in the company of a captivating young woman like this.

"And that's the mayor's house," Abigail continued, this time pointing to a house with birch siding and a dark brown roof. There was an old pickup parked by the house, and I assumed that was what Lewis used to pick up goods from around the valley every night. "It doubles as the town hall when people need to have official meetings. I imagine you'll get to know mayor Lewis fairly well."

With that said, she took hold of my arm and began walking down the river again. I noticed she was looking down at her feet and gave her a little nudge. "Something the matter?" I asked.

She took a moment before answering, and I could understand a little what Pierre had said about her changing moods. She appeared to have quite an emotional range, considering we had only spent a couple of hours together. "I just hope this doesn't bother you," she finally said. "If I'm ever being too much, you can tell me. I promise you won't hurt my feelings." She didn't look up as she spoke, and I got the impression that even though it wouldn't be a big thing, that wasn't entirely true.

I simply kept walking and reached over with my free hand to pat her arm briefly. "I'll let you know, but I don't mind at all. Today I was expecting to work, buy some supplies, and work some more… old habits. It's been a welcome break, spending time with you."

Abigail looked up with a grin on her face and relief clear in her eyes, but continued with the tour without saying anything else about it. It was enough that we both seemed to understand. She pointed out the blacksmith's place, and the museum/library on our side of the river, giving brief overviews of Clint and Gunther, the respective proprietors. "You can usually find Penny in the museum, giving lessons to Jas and Vincent. They're the kids I mentioned earlier. Unfortunately, we don't have time to stop in and visit everyone if I'm going to get you back in time. Besides, I wanted to keep you to myself for today," she added with a wink.

We then made our way back across the river. Another bridge lay to the south, which apparently led to the local beach, another attraction we didn't have time for today. We made our way past a surprisingly small cemetery, and an entrance to the sewer. I wrinkled my nose at that, but at least it was fenced in and could be kept out of sight and out of mind.

Along the way, there were several lovely benches, bushes, trees, and community flower beds. Abigail said the flowers were taken care of by Evelyn, Alex's grandma, and sometimes her own mom helped the older woman with their upkeep. Just as with the pictures on the bulletin board, the thought made me smile. People doing something nice for the benefit of the whole community. It was at that moment that I vowed to find a way to contribute as well, once I had the means and the time.

We finally came back to the paver stone path that meandered through the central part of town, but it ended after passing two final houses. "Emily and Haley live here," she said as we passed the first one, a charming place with a double-gable roof. "They're around our age as well, but their parents are currently away for work." She refrained from describing the sisters which I found interesting, but didn't press the issue, and soon enough we had come to the last house of the lane.

"This is Jodi and Kent's place. Kent's fighting in the war, so it's just Jodi and her two sons, Sam and Vincent. Sam is pretty cool, we hang out quite a bit. Vincent's your typical boy, loves playing in the mud and the dirt, not to mention chasing around Jas," she added with a giggle. That was new, I didn't think Abigail was the giggling type, but even I had been known to giggle under the right circumstances. Not that I would ever admit it.

As we came to the end of the paved path, I was expecting to turn around, but Abigail kept on following the river west. "Come on farmer boy, I've saved the best for last." I looked at my watch, but she just laughed and tugged on my arm. "I told you I'd get you back in time, just trust me, okay?" I looked into her eyes and let it go. I figured she understood that my work was important, and decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. I wouldn't be a very good friend if I didn't extend a little trust.

The trail we followed was clearly more traveled than the one leading to my farm, and the walk was quite enjoyable with the sound of the river always keeping us company. I stopped a few times to pick some wildflowers, as well as a horseradish that Abigail wrinkled her nose at.

"Not a fan?" I asked, amused by her reaction.

She took a step back and held up her hands. "No, I don't like the smell. Keep that away from me, please?"

I felt bad and quickly shoved it in the bottom of my pack. "Sorry, I didn't know. Here, is this any better?" I asked as I held out one of the dandelions I had picked earlier.

"Yeah," she replied, "but only compared to… _that_. You're going to have to try harder to figure out what I really like, farmer boy." Despite her words, she gave the flower a long sniff and held it close to her chest as we continued our walk.

A few miles down the road I began to hear the sound of farm animals. As we drew closer, I made out the sound of cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, and even ducks. "This is Marnie's place. If you need animals or animal products, she's the one to go to. Or you could get her stuff from my dad for a markup, that works too," she added with a smile.

I walked up to the fence of one of the pens to get a closer look. The smell was strong but didn't bother me as I would have expected. It smelled wholesome, somehow. A beautiful brown mare made her way over and began nuzzling me, and I was so unprepared for the force of it that I actually fell to the ground. Abigail laughed, "You're not an animal person, are you?"

I huffed as I stood up and dusted myself off. "I happen to love dogs, thank you very much. I'm just not used to anything so _big_." She laughed louder, so I decided to ignore her and approached the horse, this time holding my hands out for her to nuzzle instead. She moved her head to get me scratching where she wanted, and I found myself talking quietly to her. When Abigail got her laughing under control, she just stood there and watched me interact with the mare for a few minutes.

"I take it back, you're a natural. That's Rocinante, but everyone calls her Roci."

"Thanks," I said, now scratching under her chin. "You're a beautiful girl, aren't you?" Roci neighed and nodded her head, then stepped forward and nuzzled my chest, more gently this time. I laughed and scratched behind her ears. "Huh, it's almost like she understood that."

"Should I start calling you rancher boy instead? Cowboy?" she teased.

"Nah, I think taking care of animals would be too much work for me. I wouldn't want to compete with Marnie anyway."

"You could always start small. Maybe try just taking care of a horse? Roci seems to really like you."

"Is she even for sale?" I asked. "How much does a horse cost anyway?"

"I'm not entirely sure," admitted Abigail. "You'd not only have to buy the horse, but you'd need at least a small stable. You'd have to talk to both Marnie and Robin to find out. I'd guess it would be somewhere between eight and twelve thousand."

My eyes bugged out a little at that, and I thought back to Pierre's list to do a rough calculation. "Oh," I muttered when I arrived at a figure. "That's a lot of cauliflower. Sorry Roci, I think we'll just have to be friends for now." The mare snorted and rubbed her head against my chest, so it seemed like she wasn't too upset by the news.

Abigail laughed again. "Maybe she does understand you. Unfortunately, horse-whisperer boy doesn't have the right ring to it. Now come on, you can always come back and visit later. There's still more to see, and just enough time for it," she said, grabbing my hand and pulling me away from Rocinante. I looked back wistfully for a few steps, until I stumbled and Abigail had to help steady me.

"Should I be jealous?" she asked. Apparently teasing me was becoming one of her new favorite pastimes. It probably didn't help that I blushed lightly every time she did it.

"Nah," I replied. I didn't think of myself as a flirt, but talking with Abigail was just so easy. "I'll just make sure to never schedule dates with both of you at the same time. Everything should be fine if I avoid that."

She snorted and smacked my arm. "Dork."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** What was originally going to be one chapter has now turned into three, and I've changed the chapter titles to better reflect the range of Abby's tour. I want to thank those who have read, and especially those who have reviewed and favorited. I've been thinking about how to handle guest reviews, as I would like to reply to each of them, but I don't want to do what some authors do and post a response to every person in the author's notes. That's always bugged me. Instead, I'll reply with a review of my own. Yes, that will pad my review numbers slightly, but in my opinion, it's the less annoying option for the majority of readers.

As always, thanks for reading!


	6. Touring the Valley Pt 3

Abigail led me away from the ranch, directly toward the river. When we reached the bank, she laughed and tapped my arm, pointing back at a building we had just passed without my noticing. "That's Leah's place, I was wondering if you would notice it." I followed her finger and sure enough, there was a little cabin tucked into the trees. It was obviously built from lumber from the forest, and with the dark-green shingles, it blended in flawlessly with the surrounding flora.

"Wow," I breathed out. It was a beautiful home and really felt like it belonged there out in the wild. "I think I'm the jealous one now, I'd love to have a place like that. Did she build it?"

Abigail chuckled. "No, Leah's like you, a relatively recent transplant from the city. The place had been abandoned for a while when she moved in, but she's good with her hands and fixed it up with Robin's help. Her real talent lies in her artwork though. I'll let her tell you her story, but you've got to see some of her pieces sometime, she has a real gift."

I hummed thoughtfully, thinking about the artwork on the bulletin board. _Was that her work?_ I wondered. I couldn't help but stare at the cabin for a while, something about it really called to me. Ever since I had finally read grandpa's letter, I had been feeling… something. I felt it when I thought about certain places or certain people. I didn't know what to call it, but it was like a warm compulsion. _No, that's not right. More like something inviting me. Something warm and safe._ All I knew was that cabin sparked something inside me, a lot like thoughts of the farm did.

"You know, it's one thing to come in second place to a horse, but it's another thing entirely to lose to a building." Abigail's voice jerked me out of my thoughts, and I turned to her with an apology on the tip of my tongue. She wasn't upset though, she just smiled at me like she had a dozen times already that day, and gently pulled on my arm to continue our walk.

We followed the river for a few minutes without talking, simply enjoying the sounds of nature all around us. The babbling of the water, the sound of the breeze rustling a million leaves all around us, and little chirps and squeaks coming from the wildlife. It was probably the most peaceful place I had ever been. Abigail let out a soft sigh and expressed her love for these woods, and I couldn't help but agree with her.

Our adventure eventually led us across a series of bridges and tiny islands in the river and down to a series of seaside cliffs. Along the way, I continued to forage wildflowers and vegetables as I found them, but I avoided the horseradish for the moment, making a mental note to come back for them another time when they wouldn't bother my newest friend. Near the cliffs, we came across a large patch of spring onions. I learned that Abigail didn't like them either, but as long as she wasn't around when they were being chopped up, they didn't bother her. I practically filled my pack with them, and there were still plenty more, so I added them to my list of things to come back for another day.

Finally, we stood near the edge of the cliff and looked out over the Gem Sea. The sounds of the forest that had surrounded us for the last hour gave way to the sound of crashing waves below, and seagulls in the air above. Looking out across the sea I knew there was another land, and a war being fought, but all of that felt so far away in that moment. With the exception of the JojaMart, the valley felt almost timeless, separate from the rest of the world. Abigail leaned her head on my shoulder and I put an arm around her, savoring the moment.

"Thanks for showing me this," I said a while later. Abigail pulled away and turned to face me, looking up into my eyes.

"I bet this beats anything the city has to offer, doesn't it?" she asked.

I thought about it for a moment. The city wasn't all bad, but Joja wasn't alone in its soul-sucking tendencies. There were clubs and bars, music and sporting events, museums and galleries… but I had never enjoyed any of them the way I had enjoyed this afternoon. "It really does," I answered, returning her smile.

Our walk continued then, across another series of bridges and a much larger island. On the other side, we came across a very old, very run-down house. The roof was caved in at several places, the doors and windows were all missing, and half the siding had rotted away. "I have no idea who lived here," Abigail said. "It's been abandoned my entire life. I went inside to explore once when I was younger, but the first step on the staircase gave way when I tried going upstairs. Even back then, I realized that it was just too dangerous. I like to wonder about who might have lived here though."

I peered into one of the windows and quickly backed away. I didn't know much about architecture, but I wouldn't be surprised if the whole building came down soon. "It's a bit sad, isn't it? Feels like a memory lost to the world." I surprised myself with those words, they didn't sound like something I would say, but Abigail responded with a hum of agreement.

Our path was pretty much defined for us from that point forward. On the right hand was the river, and on the left hand, the cliffs overlooking the sea gave way to cliffs and steep slopes marking the edge of the valley, leading up toward the mountains. We eventually came across a fairly large lake, but my attention was understandable drawn away at the sight of a tall stone tower sitting on the hill above it.

"That's the wizard's tower," Abigail whispered in my ear. I jumped slightly from the unexpected closeness but turned to give her a disbelieving glare.

"Right, and I'm the tooth fairy," I replied. The place looked abandoned, and half as run-down as the house we had just left by the cliffs.

I didn't like the look she gave me when I said that though. "Hey, I'm not kidding about this. You don't believe me?"

I looked between her and the tower, disliking the situation I found myself in. Everything with her had been so easy today, and I really didn't want to spoil that. "Look, if you say someone lives there, I'll believe you, but there's no such thing as magic."

I thought for sure she was pulling my leg. Maybe someone did live there, and maybe it was a crazy old man with a long beard and pointy hat, but I had learned there was no magic in the world when I learned that Santa wasn't real, along with all the other fairy tales kids are told.

Abigail didn't act like she had been joking though. Her eyes began to water and she looked like she wanted to say something, maybe to yell at me, but instead, she turned on her heel and stormed off.

Not knowing what else to do, I chased after her. "Abigail, wait! Just, wait please." I caught up to her quickly and caught her arm, turning her around to face me. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you…"

She sniffed and rubbed away a tear that had fallen down her cheek, and I was gutted. I didn't understand, but causing her to cry was the last thing I wanted to do. "Abigail…" I started, but what was I supposed to say? I didn't know what was wrong.

"You don't remember, do you?" she asked, her voice sounding small and fragile like it had when they talked about JojaMart. She looked up at me then, her eyes brimming with unshed tears and the saddest look on her face that made me want to do something, anything to see her smile again.

"I…" I wanted to say something, but what to say? What was she talking about?

"You've lived in the city too long," she said, somehow managing to look even more dejected. "Don't you remember me? Don't you remember us exploring the woods together? Don't you remember what we saw?" She was pleading with me now, and I felt like the worst person in the world for doing this to her.

And then something tugged at my memory.

It was the last time I had visited, before grandma died. We had spent a week on the farm, and the adults weren't paying as much attention to me as they usually did. Later I would learn it was because grandma was dying, but at the time, I just knew that I was getting bored playing by myself.

Then I remembered a girl with long chestnut brown hair, hair that she complained about because it was so long and got caught in the bushes and trees. I remembered her forcing me to make her a promise without knowing what it was, and then having her tell me I needed to give her a haircut. I didn't want to cut her hair, I thought it was pretty, but she wouldn't let me back out of my promise.

I remembered a girl who was fearless and adventurous, leading me into the forest with sticks for swords, and spinning a tale of adventure like nothing I had ever experienced before. Or since. We fought through hordes of monsters, fought off a dragon, and rescued a princess from a tall tower. A tower like the one on the hill behind us.

And then I remembered our last adventure, the one where we discovered a hidden, magical forest. There was something different about that memory though, because on that day, our imagination had turned into reality. We had gone deeper into the forest than ever before, struggled through bushes and tiny pathways that no adult could have fit through, and stumbled upon a beautiful meadow and a small, crystal-clear pond. I remembered the meadow was unlike anything I had ever seen. It wasn't overgrown like the rest of the forest, it actually looked like it was well maintained. Not in the way humans would sculpt bushes or force hedges into unnatural, perfectly straight walls, but in a way that was both wild and tamed at the same time.

Finally, I remembered the creatures. Forest spirits. _How could I have forgotten?_ They were tiny, well maybe not compared to six-year-old children, but they were still small to us, even then. How to describe them? They were like fluffy little apples stuffed with warm jelly, with arms and legs. They had swarmed around us, dancing and singing and making the most wonderful noises. Then they performed magic for us, making beautiful flowers grow right in front of our eyes and giving them to us as gifts.

They had spoken to us too. It wasn't a language we knew, I don't even think it was a spoken language, but we understood it anyway.

 _We are the Junimos, keepers of the forest. We have chosen you because your hearts are pure, and you love the land. One day it will be up to you to save the valley, but you will have help. That time has not come yes, so do not worry. Live your lives. Love your friends and family. You will know when it is time._

I couldn't remember how long we had spent with them, but when we finally left, we had sworn to each other that we would never forget that day. Oh, Yoba. I had promised her I would remember, and she had probably spent the whole day waiting for me to say something. Then I had crushed her hopes.

I realized then that I had tears running down my cheeks, and Abigail had been watching me the entire time, her face mirroring mine. "Abby…" I said, using the nickname I had used when we were children. "I'm so sorry I forgot."

She crashed into me then, doing her best to squeeze the air out of my lungs, and laughed with joy. "It's okay, Chris. I'm just glad you remember now. I was so worried…" I could feel warm tears soaking through my shirt, so I just wrapped my arms around her and let my own fall as well. I knew then, this was a big part of that unidentified thing I had been feeling. Not all of it, but a big part. This revelation meant I had a lot to think about, but right now all that mattered was reconnecting with the girl in my arms.

After an indeterminate amount of time, she finally pulled away from my arms and smiled up at me, her eyes red and puffy, but I didn't care. I was sure I looked the same. I lifted my hand and ran my fingers through a lock of her hair. "You changed your hair. It looks much better than it did after I took those scissors to it."

She laughed at the memory. "My mom was so mad at me for that. I said I had done it to myself though, I didn't want you to get into trouble." I couldn't help but chuckle and pulled her back in for another hug.

After the hug ended, I turned back to look up at the tower. "So, there's really a wizard living there?"

"There really is," she said. "He's a little reclusive, and you'll only see him if when he sends an invitation, but I think you'll be getting one soon. I've talked to him a few times, and he said something about how he has been waiting for you."

I wondered at that but decided to leave it for another day. I had just remembered that magic existed, and had a very emotionally draining experience. I still had seeds to plant when I got home, but I was already well and truly exhausted.

Perhaps sensing that I would need some time to myself, Abigail took my hand and began leading me around the lake, back toward Marnie's ranch. When we got close, she let go and turned to face me again. "I'm so glad you're back, Chris. Today has been such a great day."

"Same here," I said. "I don't think I've been this happy since that last time we saw each other. Thanks for making me remember."

She stepped forward for a brief hug, then pulled back and started to back away. "Well, I know you have some seeds to plant, so I'll leave you to it… farmer boy."

I looked around confused, and she laughed at me again. I loved it when she laughed, it was never malicious, just a happy, uplifting sound. "I know you've lived in the city for a while, but think about it. Your farm is west of town. We're west of town." She pointed off to my left at a barely visible trail and it clicked in my mind. "Just follow the trail, you can't miss it, I promise."

Those last two words meant a lot to me now. She had never broken a promise to me, even after all these years. "Thanks, Abby," I said. "Take care, and I'll see you soon."

"You'd better, farmer boy. You'd better."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I'm not going to lie, I cried writing this. I've been debating with myself about their backstory, just knowing that I wanted them to have a history together, without any idea as to how it would work. When I got to the tower though, the words just came. I love it when that happens while writing, it feels more like discovering a story than creating one.

If anyone is thinking that I have the tags wrong on this story, I promise they're correct. Leah is going to show up soon, and will be the eventual pairing for Chris, but relationships are complicated in real life, defining them isn't always easy, and there are many different ways in which people can love each other. I have no idea how long this story will go, but from how long this first Chris x Abigail scene went, I suspect it's going to be many dozens of chapters.

As always, thanks for reading!


	7. A Day with Robin

I followed the old path back to the farm, lost in thoughts of the past. Even though I had remembered, I still had to wrap my head around this new reality. _More like this old reality,_ I thought wryly. _The one I had forgotten. The one where magic is real._

When I got back, the sun was getting low in the sky and I still felt exhausted, but I decided to go ahead with planting my new seeds anyway. There weren't a lot of them, and I felt like the work would help ease my mind. As I tilled a new patch of soil, I thought back to the words of the Junimos so many years ago.

 _We have chosen you because your hearts are pure, and you love the land._

 _Do I still love the land?_ I wondered. _And what does that mean, exactly? Sure, I think it's beautiful here, but that's more appreciation than love._ I got so caught up in my ponderings that before I knew it, the new patch was ready for planting, as well as a strip directly in front of the house where I was going to grow the flowers. I got down on one knee and poked a hole in the soil. As opposed to that morning when I would simply drop in a seed, this time I placed it gently at the bottom, and carefully covered it before moving on to the next.

I had always felt like love was a misunderstood concept, something you did more than something you felt. How many people claimed to love someone, but ended up cheating on them? How many people claimed to love someone, but didn't go out of their way to make that person's day easier, or to make them feel special? How many people claimed to love someone, but focused more on their jobs, their bills, and their petty concerns instead of cultivating that love?

I managed to finish planting and watering the new seeds just as the sun finally disappeared behind the mountains, but I took a little extra time to clear away some of the weeds, branches, and rocks that were too close for comfort. Love was a difficult concept when it came to humans, but when it came to loving the farm, I thought I could figure that out more easily. Tending to the land was part of the job, but my reasons for doing so made all the difference.

After planting, I headed inside to wash up and have a quick dinner, turning on the TV as I ate. The antenna didn't pick up many channels, unfortunately. There was a weather report that seemed to be playing on a loop, a fortune channel with a woman reading horoscopes and claiming today was my lucky day, and some sort of DIY channel that caught my attention. The current program was talking about clearing land and preparing it for planting. _Looks like the fortune teller was right, it was pretty lucky of me to be able to catch this program_ , I thought. The program had some great tips for dealing with different types of weeds and rocky soil. It didn't cover tree removal though, so I made a note to talk to Robin about that sometime.

Later, I sat in bed with my grandpa's old journal. Opening it to a random entry, I began reading.

 _Everything grows quickly in the valley, and everyone here knows it, although none of the townsfolk know why. I do though. Call it love, call it magic, call it whatever you will, but there's an energy in the valley, and it permeates everything. It exists in the dirt, in the rocks, in the trees and wildlife, and in the people as well. Some people can even harness the energy, although most can't do it consciously. I've spoken with Rasmodius about this at great length, and he's expressed that I have a greater ability to control this 'nature magic' than anyone he's ever seen, himself included._

That got me thinking. Abigail had said a wizard lived in the old tower, and grandpa had apparently spent a lot of time talking with someone who could control magic. Unless there were multiple wizards around, that had to be Rasmodius' tower. I thought of making a visit to see him until I remembered Abigail saying it was an invite-only kind of thing, so I shrugged and continued reading.

 _I've learned over the years that just caring about the crops is enough to help get the magic flowing. Thinking about them as I water them, instead of being distracted, means they'll grow bigger and faster. That young man Pierre is always surprised when I bring in a new harvest earlier than anyone else. Not that he complains, he says my produce always sells out quickly._

If I was reading this correctly, it appeared grandpa and I shared the same opinion on what love really was, and I felt glad that I had been more caring as I planted my seeds earlier in the evening. I felt like he would have been proud of me, and found myself smiling as I read further.

 _I think the strangest thing about all this though, is how attached I've become to my crops. It's always a little bittersweet to part with them now, although knowing they are going to people who respect them as ingredients, and that they will help continue the circle of life, helps._

I wondered if I would feel the same, but decided I would just have to wait and see. One thing was for certain, grandpa would never have sold his harvests to JojaMart, and I was glad I hadn't even considered it. Sighing and stretching my aching limbs, I set the journal on my bedside table and turned off the little lamp before burying myself in the covers and quickly falling asleep.

* * *

I woke to the crowing of a rooster, just as the previous morning. I sat up in bed and stretched, surprised at how good I felt. I didn't feel tired, my muscles didn't ache, and I felt like I had more energy today than I did yesterday. _That's strange,_ I thought. _I didn't work out often in the city, but when I did, I was always a wreck the day after._ To be fair, I had just remembered that magic was a thing yesterday, and grandpa had written that the valley was full of it. Maybe it was responsible for my rapid recovery.

Not feeling particularly hungry, I quickly showered and dressed, and headed outside to check on my crops. What I found was… a lot to process. There was a lot of green already showing, too much green for a single day. Or in the case of the crops I had planted as the sun set the night before, way too much green for a single night. Disbelieving, I made my way over to the parsnips I had planted last night, and gently reached out to touch the sprouting leaves. As soon as I made contact, I felt a jolt run up my arm. Nothing like an electric shock, more of a… well I didn't really know how to describe it. It almost felt like the first touches of a new relationship, little jolts of excitement.

I ran my fingers over the leaves for a minute, enjoying the feeling and the wide smile I felt on my face. Then, I looked over at the parsnips I had planted yesterday morning, and my smile fell. True, they were still showing more green than I expected, but it was far less than those I had planted last night. As I wondered at what was different, a passage from grandpa's journal came back to me.

 _I've learned over the years that just caring about the crops is enough to help get the magic flowing. Thinking about them as I water them, instead of being distracted, means they'll grow bigger and faster._

Looking at the first parsnips I had planted, I felt a little guilty. I hadn't been thinking of them, I had been thinking about following the directions on the seed packets. Retrieving the watering can from the porch and filling it from the small pond, I went over and started watering what I had planted yesterday morning. As an apology, I knelt down next to each sprout and gently ran my fingers across the tiny leaves. I felt a similar jolt of excitement run up my arm as I did so, but it was definitely weaker, and there was something else hidden beneath it, a sort of sadness. "I'm sorry little ones," I found myself saying. "I'll do better from now on, I promise."

When I was done with them, I watered the rest of what had been planted yesterday, taking time to give each plant a personal touch as I went along. When I finished, I couldn't help myself, laid down in my little cleared-out space, and closed my eyes. It wasn't because I was tired, it was because as I had worked, I had been overcome by a tremendous feeling of peace, and I wanted to enjoy it.

I drifted off at some point, dreaming of cuddly spirits in a beautiful forest grove, and blue eyes that reminded me of the sea. As I looked into those eyes, they grew and grew until they filled my vision, and suddenly I was standing atop a cliff, looking out over the Gem Sea. Abigail's head was on my shoulder, her long purple hair blowing in the gentle breeze, and my arm was resting around her waist. On impulse, I bent down and placed a kiss on the crown of her head, and she hummed in contentment and snuggled closer.

"Hard at work, I see!" An amused voice brought me out of my slumber, and I opened my eyes to see Robin grinning down at me.

"Just saving up my energy for the real work," I replied, standing up and dusting myself off. "I was actually going to look for you today, I need to learn how to deal with all these trees."

She looked around at the wild growth and nodded, there was actually very little space that could be cleared for more crops without being overshadowed by trees at this point. "Great minds think alike," she said. "I wanted to see how you were getting on before you hurt yourself by standing on the wrong side while you chopped one down." She hefted an ax that I hadn't noticed yet and waved for me to follow. "Come on, I'll teach you the basics, and you can pay me by letting me keep half of what we process today."

I returned my watering can to the porch and retrieved my own ax, then followed her to a tree that was very close to the house. "We'll start with this one," she explained. "You have to be very careful when there's something nearby that could be damaged if a tree falls the wrong way, such as a house, or a patch of crops." She then began lecturing me, teaching me to pay attention to the direction a tree had grown, then showing me how to make an open-face notch. "You make the notch on the side you want the tree to fall. There are other methods that don't waste as much wood, but this is the easiest and most accurate."

She then showed me the angles and how deep to make the notch, before moving around to the other side of the tree and working on the back cut. "You want this cut to be as horizontal as possible. If you turn it into a notch, you run the risk of making the tree fall backward." She swung her axe with practiced ease, and power that didn't show through her modest clothing. Soon, the tree began to tilt and the area she had been working on began to crack and splinter.

"It's coming down, stand back," she warned. We backed up and watched the tree fall faster and faster. It was louder than I was expecting, especially when the branches smashed into the ground. The silence that followed was almost deafening. "Spooks the local critters," she explained.

For a moment, I worried that maybe we had hurt something, and I worried that we had somehow sinned against the natural magic of the valley. I stepped forward and laid a hand on the remaining stump, but I didn't feel anything negative coming from it. Just a vague feeling that it was okay, that this had been part of the tree's purpose. I smiled and turned back to face Robin who had been watching me with an unreadable expression on her face.

"You're so like your grandfather, it's uncanny," she said, before smiling. "I'm glad. We should respect nature and take care of it. Every time I chop down a tree, I make sure to plant some seeds. It would be all too easy to strip the valley of its resources, and that's something that nobody around here wants. Now," she said, "it's your turn. Let's tackle one further from the house, just in case," she added with a wink. "As much as I would love working on your 'rustic' home, I'd much rather it be an improvement than a major repair."

I chuckled at her humor and chose a tree a little ways off. As I began swinging, Robin stepped in to correct my stance and grip, then backed off so I could continue. It must have taken me five times longer, and my cuts were jagged and sloppy, but eventually, the tree came down very close to where I had planned. "Good work!" Robin said. "You have the fundamentals down, all you need now is practice."

I rubbed my shoulders and winced at the blisters forming on my hands, even through my work gloves, but I felt good. "Thanks," I told her, "but what do we do now? I can't exactly drag an entire tree on my own."

Robin walked up and put an arm around my shoulder, pulling me toward the house. "Now, we have lunch. Come on, I made sandwiches."

We sat on my porch as we ate, talking and laughing, and in general just having a good time. I really enjoyed Robin's company and wondered why there seemed to be so many people in the valley that I could immediately feel comfortable with. Maybe it was their connection to my grandpa, or something borne of them having known me briefly as a child. Whatever it was, I was thankful for it.

After we finished eating, Robin looked out over my rows of growing crops. "I can't believe how much they've grown since yesterday. Did your grandfather leave you a secret recipe for fertilizer or something? Some of them are growing as quickly for you as they did for him."

I looked at her and considered what to say. Grandpa's journal said that nobody but him and Rasmodius knew the secret of the valley, and I initially thought I should keep it to myself, but something about that felt wrong. I really liked Robin and didn't want to lie to her, and what was more, I felt like I could trust her. I felt like I _should_ trust her.

"Hang on," I said, going inside and retrieving the journal, searching for what I had read the previous night. "You might think this is crazy," I warned when I handed the book to her, "but I don't think it is."

Robin took the journal with a curious expression and began reading. When she finished, she didn't say anything, but I could see her eyes jump back to the start and she read it again. Finally, she closed the journal and handed it back to me. "He's not wrong about how quickly things grow in the valley. I don't know much about crops, but I do know your grandfather's were always the talk of the town. It's not just crops either, the trees grow quickly here, too."

I stood up and showed her the difference between the parsnips I had planted in the morning, and those I had planted in the evening, explaining the difference in how I had cared for them. "Well, that's something," she finally said. After a long pause, she looked me in the eyes. "I'm surprised you shared all this with me."

I blushed lightly and looked down at my feet. "It just felt right. You remind me a lot of my mom, actually," I choked out. That was a minefield I didn't mean to approach, but Robin showed a mother's intuition and didn't press the issue, instead reached out to ruffle my hair.

"You're a good kid, Chris," she said softly. "I'm glad you're comfortable with me. The valley is full of caring people, but if you ever need to talk about anything, I'll be happy to listen."

I shrugged out from under her hand and fake-grumbled while I tried to 'fix' my always-messy hair, but sent her a grateful smile, knowing she saw through the act. "Thanks, Robin."

After that, we both felt like returning to safer waters, so we returned to the fallen trees and Robin showed me how to section them off for easier transport and different uses. "If you wanted to use these for a cabin, you'd want to keep them as long as possible, but you don't have the equipment for that. Firewood you'll want to keep around one to two feet long, and there's plenty of use for planks anywhere from one to four feet long. You should be able to manhandle anything up to that length, especially with that wheelbarrow of yours."

"Wheelbarrow?" I asked in surprise.

Robin laughed. "You might want to explore your farm a little more. I'd start with looking behind your house." I slapped my forehead and she laughed louder. "Hey, don't feel bad, it's only been a little over a day. If you had gone a week without finding it though, I'd have to start telling people about you. A month and we'd have to hold an intervention about this not being the right lifestyle for you."

Just like that, my embarrassment faded away, and I laughed right along with her, grateful for her ability to read and diffuse a situation. _A wheelbarrow will really help with so many of my chores,_ I thought to myself. _I'll start by clearing out the rocks and prepping for the next batch of seeds I purchase._

We worked late into the afternoon, stripping the branches from the fallen trees, chopping sections of logs into various lengths, and hauling them over to stack by the side of the house. We loaded half of the haul into Robin's truck, and I held out a hand as I thanked her for her help. She had none of that, however, and pulled me into a brief hug.

"You've got a lot of work ahead of you, but I know you've got what it takes to get it done. If you save up the wood and rocks as you clear out the farm, I'll be able to give you a hefty discount on any new structures or improvements later on down the road." She opened the door to her truck and climbed in, then leaned out the window before pulling away. "Stop by for dinner one of these nights and meet my family. Our place is along the road leading north from town, you can't miss it." With that, she started the truck and took off down the road.

Left to myself, I looked around at the work we had gotten done and felt a tremendous feeling of satisfaction. This work was physically demanding, sure, but it was so much better than working for Joja Corp. I went inside to clean up and have dinner, but went to bed without turning on the TV or reading more from grandpa's journal. I was simply too tired, and fell into blissful dreams almost the moment my head hit the pillow.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Another chapter done! I got a little distracted this week with modding, and I'm getting used to a new schedule now that the kids are back in school, but I don't feel like I can stay away from this story for long. I think at this point I'm done with having a chapter(or two or three) for every in-world day, as there's a lot of work for Chris to do and I don't want to bore anyone with it. I hope you're still enjoying the story, and thanks for reading!


	8. The Art of Fishing

For once, I didn't wake to the crow of a rooster, rather to the patter of raindrops hitting the roof. _Hmm, I probably should have checked the weather channel yesterday,_ I thought to myself. It would be best to keep abreast of the weather in the future, so I wouldn't be caught by surprise again.

Looking out the front window and realizing I wouldn't need to water the crops today, I took my time with my morning shower and breakfast. I was already getting tired of eating prepackaged foods, but until I could afford an expansion, I didn't have many options. _Maybe I can get one of those camp stoves. It would be a pain, but at least I could have some hot meals._

The weatherman claimed the rain would be gone tomorrow, and the fortune teller was again predicting good luck. _I wonder if she ever predicts doom and gloom?_ The DIY channel was broadcasting those color bars you see from time to time. I didn't even know what that meant. Technical difficulties?

After breakfast, I donned my raincoat and stepped outside. Standing on the porch, I was pretty well-protected from the rain, as long as the wind didn't pick up. The crops had made progress again, and the first set of parsnips actually looked like they were catching up to the others. It seemed the attention I had given them had paid off, and the thought made me smile. I considered going out to 'visit' them, but decided it was better to be safe than sorry. With the ground as muddy as it was, there was a good chance I could slip and crush one of the frail plants, or dislodge it from the life-giving soil.

Glancing off to the side, I noticed the flag on my mailbox was up. I was pretty sure it wasn't last night, and wondered who the mailman was. _Probably Mayor Lewis,_ I thought. _Whoever it is, they sure are dedicated to get the mail delivered this early, in this weather._ Grabbing my umbrella, I quickly retrieved the mail and brought it inside to read.

The first letter was actually an advertisement for a fancy backpack at Pierre's. I was surprised by the tone of the ad, it felt so… corporate. I didn't get that vibe from his store or my time talking to him, and I wondered if this was normal for him, or if he was maybe attempting to mimic JojaMart. I folded up the ad and put it in my pack since I was planning on visiting him today anyway. Maybe it wasn't my place, but I felt he would do better to embrace the friendly, community-centric aspect of his store.

The second letter was short, from a man named Willy who said he had a gift for me, and asked me to meet him at the beach. It seemed odd, but there wasn't much I could do in this rain, and I doubted there were any serial killers in Pelican Town, so I added that to my plan for the day. Pierre, Abigail, and Willy.

On the walk into town, I scanned my surroundings for more wild forage, now that I knew how valuable it could be. I came across several daffodils and dandelions that were in bloom, sheltered from the rain by trees overhead, and the patch of leeks I had found on my first trip had a couple more that were ripe, so I carefully extracted them as well. All-in-all, I was fairly happy and would be able to buy several more seeds from Pierre.

Once I made it to the shop, however, I was disappointed to find the place closed. I couldn't see a doorbell, and really didn't want to disturb anyone, but another part of me wanted to see Abigail, so I knocked. Unfortunately, either nobody was home, or nobody heard, so I dejectedly turned away and started walking toward the bridge I knew would take me to the beach.

Paver stones made way to grass and mud, which eventually made way to wet sand, and I found myself at the town's beach. The cleared area didn't actually stretch very far in either direction. To my left was a weathered cabin built just above the tide line, and what looked to be another stretch of beach, but it was separated from where I stood by a river coming down from the mountains. To the right, the sand gently receded until there were only a few feet of sand between the water and the forest, and it was littered with driftwood. Further down I knew the land rose up to the sea cliffs, so this appeared to be the only easy access to the Gem Sea.

A surprisingly large pier extended out into the water, and was wide enough at one point to house a shack that appeared to be made largely out of salvaged materials. Next to the shack, I saw a figure looking out over the water, and decided that was likely Willy.

My work boots sounded loudly on the boards that made up the pier as I approached, and the stranger turned to look at me with an appraising eye. He was dressed simply, in well-worn clothing that smelled of fish and salt. He had on an old, musty-looking cap, and was smoking a pipe, despite the rain. Seemingly coming to a conclusion, he took the pipe out of his mouth and held out his hand. "Heard there was a newcomer in town, fresh from the city they said. Good to finally meet you."

I shook his hand, wincing slightly as his rough callused skin grated against the blisters I had earned the day before. _Apparently, the healing effects only extend so far_ , I thought. "I'm Chris, it's nice to meet you too. Willy, right?"

He nodded and knocked his pipe against a trash barrel. "Aye. Just got back from a month out on the seas, made a good haul and sold a lot of fish. Finally earned enough to buy myself a new rod." He pointed over at the shack, and I noticed a pair of fishing poles leaning near the door. I didn't know much about fishing, but I could tell that the one on the left had all the bells and whistles. He walked over to the other pole, the simpler one, and took it in his hands, surprisingly gently. "Here, I want you to have my old one. It's important to me that the art of fishing stays alive. Besides, maybe you'll buy some bait from the shop once in a while," he added with a hoarse laugh. I looked at the shack again, and sure enough, there was a sign above the door that simply said 'Fish'.

"There's good water here in the valley," he continued. "All kinds of fish, and my shop's open again, too. I'll buy anything you catch. 'If it smells, it sells' as my pappy always used to say." He laughed again, seeming to be rather chipper for a salty old sea-dog type.

I took the pole gratefully, still surprised at the generosity of the residents of the valley, and I renewed my vow to repay their kindness when I could. The pole was simple, made of bamboo and sporting a simple reel. Probably the most expensive thing about it was the lure on the end of the line. "With this, you don't even need bait, although having some won't hurt you none at all!" He spent the next hour or so showing me the ropes, how to cast, how to wait for the right kind of nibble before trying to snag anything, and how to work with the fish to reel it in, rather than trying to fight it the whole way.

Willy then went into his shop and left me to my own devices. The rain was still coming down, and I had to abandon my umbrella when we began fishing, but it was a warm, spring rain, and it wasn't bothering me much. I stayed on the pier for another couple of hours, managing to snag about half a dozen fish, before I decided to call it a day. Soaked, but satisfied, I entered Willy's shop to see about selling my haul.

"Well, not bad son, not bad at all!" he said as he looked them all over. "Now pay attention, it's time for another lesson. This one's a herring, and about average length. You can catch them out here in the saltwater any time of day, any weather, winter and spring. During the warmer months, they move further out to sea."

I nodded along, filing the information away. I had learned a few mnemonic tricks at university, and little tidbits like these were easy to apply them to. "These four are sardines," he continued. "They don't get too much bigger than this one here, that's a fine specimen. They're a lot like herring, although you can catch them in the fall. It's just summer when they're too far out to catch from the pier."

He looked up to see if I was paying attention, so I smiled and motioned for him to continue. "Alright, now these two are halibut. They make for a great meal, and Gus likes to serve them at the Saloon. They get big, real big. Twice as long as either of these, easily." I gawked at that. I remembered those two, they had been difficult to reel in, and I had felt like the rod was going to break. "You'll usually only catch them early in the morning, or late in the evening. They like to stay near the ocean floor, so if you want them specifically, you'll need to use some sinkers. They stick around almost all year long, just gone for a few weeks in the fall."

"Got it," I affirmed. "What about prices? You said you'd buy anything I caught?"

"That I did," he replied, "and gladly. Now, pricing fish is a tricky thing, since they vary in size so much. Take these halibut, I'll give you eighty gold each, but if you managed to bag one twice this size, I'd go as high as one hundred eighty." My eyes widened, this could be a much better use of my time for getting started than looking for forage, but something niggled at the back of my mind.

"What about sustainability? Could I damage the local populations if I did too much fishing?"

Willy gave a loud guffaw. "Son, you could fish twenty-four seven with a pole and never hurt the population. It takes several fishing ships with large nets months and months in one location to do that kind of damage, though it warms my salty heart to know you care. No, no, don't you worry about that. The townsfolk almost all have a dish they like too, so you'll never catch more than you can sell either."

I smiled, relieved. "Alright then. How much for the lot of them?"

He looked them over, mumbling to himself, then writing down figures on a sheet of paper. "Afraid I don't have that fancy city way with numbers that you seem to, just give me a second." He scratched on the paper, adding up the columns until he came to a total. "Right, I'll give you three hundred twenty gold for the lot."

"Deal," I said, and he immediately began counting out bills. It was too bad Pierre's wasn't open today, but then I realized that starting another crop today or tomorrow wouldn't make a difference anyway, not as far as purchasing strawberry seeds was concerned. I took the money when it was handed to me, and thanked Willy for all of his help before heading back out into the rain.

Back outside, I was surprised to see a teenage boy standing at the end of the pier. He had dark purple hair, wore a matching hoodie, and had on black skinny jeans. Figuring I had time for another introduction, and feeling pretty good despite the weather, I walked up to him. "Hi, I'm Chris, the new farmer."

He turned to look at me, his long hair plastered to his forehead. "Oh, you're the one who just moved in. Cool." His eyes were expressionless, and he simply turned back to look out over the water.

"Yeah, it's a change from the city, but I'm really enjoying the place so far. Willy was just teaching me how to fish this morning." He just grunted but didn't say anything else. I began to feel awkward as the silence stretched on, feeling a bit of that social anxiety I sometimes got.

"The ocean is best enjoyed alone, don't you think?" he finally said.

"Oh," I replied, taken off-guard by the… dismissal? Request? Everybody had been so friendly up til now, but I guess it was bound to end sooner or later. "Right, I'll leave you to it then."

I picked up my umbrella and my new fishing pole, and started making my way back home. I looked down at my feet as I walked, wondering if I had done something wrong, if I had come across as annoying, or if it was something else. This was the kind of thing that kept me from socializing much when I was in the city, I just didn't get people. Abigail, Pierre, Robin, even Willy had been different, and I wondered if they were anomalies, or more the norm in the valley. Robin had said the people here were kind, so maybe he was just an angsty teen, or having a bad day. I decided not to let it get me down.

And then I tripped.

Grumbling, I stood up and tried to dust myself off, but the wet stand was persistent in sticking to every inch of me it came in contact with. Finally giving up, I looked back to see what I tripped on and saw a shell sticking out of the ground. I thought it was a clam shell, but I wasn't certain. It looked nice anyway, so I picked it up and put it in my bag before continuing on home.

I didn't see anyone else on the rest of my walk, and by the time I got home, I felt drained. Miles and miles of walking in the rain, alone, covered in wet sand, wasn't my idea of a fun time. Inside the safety of my new home, I made my way to the bathroom for a warm shower. Later, as I sat in bed, warm and dry, my mood improved, and I read more of my grandpa's journal.

The page I had settled on tonight explained how to extract the seeds from various wild plants, including the spring forage I had been collecting. Excited, I got up, retrieved what I had in my pack, and set it on the table. Setting to work with a pocket knife, I ended up with twenty viable seeds that I could use to grow more daffodils, dandelions, horseradish, and leeks. _This is way better than if I had sold this all at Pierre's. Grandpa says I should be able to harvest these in a week, that will really help with my strawberry patch!_ Excited, I covered the seeds with a cloth and even managed to salvage some greens for a fresh salad.

Before I finally went to bed, I looked over at my grandpa's journal, and for the first time, truly took it in. It was thick, with many more pages than I had thought. I could only imagine how much information was contained inside, and couldn't help but feel excited at learning it all. _I'll pace myself though, there's no rush. Take things one step at a time._ As I settled under the covers, I felt confident that I was going to be able to succeed on the farm. Up until now, I had just been going with the flow and seeing how things went. But with grandpa's journal, and the help of Pierre, Robin, Willy, and others, I knew I could do it. I fell asleep feeling the best I had in many, many years.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Feeling inspired today, so I wrote another chapter. I don't have much of an exact plan for the story, just a few notes I jot down now and then, along with guesses on about what chapter I want to work them in. If you came to this story for Leah, I'm so sorry that she hasn't made an appearance yet, it just didn't feel right. She'll be here soon though, I promise. As always, thanks for reading!


	9. My First Harvest

As was becoming the norm, I woke to a rooster's crow the next morning. Looking over at my clock, it read 6:00 AM. After a brief stretch, I began my morning routine. Take a shower, eat breakfast, and check the TV. It looked like the sunny weather was going to continue and the spirits were feeling neutral today. _Is there a chance that she's talking about the Junimos?_ I wondered. There was no easy way to know for sure, but maybe I could figure out a way to test the theory. I hadn't seen the spirits since I returned, but I hadn't exactly gone looking for them either.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the DIY channel airing a new program, or at least a rerun I hadn't seen before. It turned out to be a special report on spring foraging, focusing on the spring onions that could be found near sea cliffs. _Well, at least I know their information is good._

When I finished eating, I took the seeds I had extracted the night before and began working on getting them planted. I lost myself in the work, focused on what I was doing and how it would benefit the seeds, feeling like each step was just as important to their growth as any other. As I carefully planted them, I realized I had been smiling the entire morning. It seemed I was truly beginning to fall in love with this kind of work.

After the seeds were planted, and all the crops watered and otherwise tended to, I weighed my options. I thought about taking a trip into town, but looking at the rate the parsnips were growing, I suspected Pierre had been right. They would likely be ready for harvest tomorrow, so I decided to wait until then to see Abigail again. Not that Abigail was the only reason to go into town, but I couldn't fool myself into thinking she wasn't a big one.

Instead, I used my pickaxe to break up the rocks that littered the farm, and my newly-discovered wheelbarrow to transport them to the side of the house. By the time the sun had peaked in the sky, I had quite an impressive pile of stones and a fair amount of newly-cleared land that I could prepare for more planting.

I took a long break for lunch and spent some time re-familiarizing myself with the layout of the farm. Getting through the trees and undergrowth was quite difficult in some places, but I ended up with a much better sense of the acreage I had to work with, as well as coming across a small but empty cave. It was cool inside and I thought it might be a useful place for storage.

After my break, I felt fairly energized, so I traded the pickaxe for the ax and worked on bringing down a few more trees. By the time the sky began to darken, I was once again feeling completely exhausted and went inside to get ready for bed.

* * *

For once, I woke before the rooster's crow, since I couldn't help but be excited for the day. Not only was I going to sell my first harvest, but I was going to get to see Abigail again. I had thought it would take me longer to get used to the memories, and the idea of magic, but working with my crops every day was proof that it was real. I lay in bed momentarily, indulging in a few minutes of simply doing nothing, before the crowing finally began. I looked over at my clock. _6:00 AM again. That is the most punctual animal I've ever heard of,_ I thought as I pulled back the covers. I hurried through my morning ritual, only eating an energy bar seeing as I planned on having a meal in town. I found out another storm was coming and was glad for the timing. I really didn't want to walk to town and back in the rain more than I had to.

Heading outside, I went straight for the parsnips. Sure enough, they looked just like the picture on the seed packets that indicated when they were ready to harvest. Feeling eager, I reached out, grabbing one by the stem, and gently pulled. To my surprise, it practically slid out of the earth as if it weren't even there, and I held the vegetable almost reverently. The now-familiar sensations I got from the plants I grew had changed slightly, and I felt elements of satisfaction, finality, and something a little sad. _I think this is what grandpa was talking about,_ I thought, as I set the parsnip aside to continue harvesting.

The rest came out of the ground as easily as the first and varied in size. As I suspected, the ones I had planted that first evening, with a little more care, were generally larger than the others. It didn't take long though, and soon I had a backpack filled to the brim. I took a few more minutes to water the remaining crops, which were all coming along nicely, then hefted my pack and headed into town.

As was becoming a habit, I foraged a little along the way, but soon found myself without any space or hands left to hold anything more. _This isn't going to work once I start growing more crops,_ I thought. _I'll either have to just use the shipping bin or find another way to carry my harvests._ I thought of the wheelbarrow, but hauling it all the way into town would be a lot of work. A wagon or a bicycle with a carrier attached to the back would be better, but once I started harvesting the strawberries, I imagined my finances would be such that waiting an extra day to be paid for using the shipping bin wouldn't really affect me.

I got to Pierre's just as he was flipping the sign to open, and he opened the door for me and waved me in. "Chris, it's good to see you!" he said. I noticed he seemed more enthusiastic than normal and wondered why that was. "What brings you into town today?" he asked.

I took off my pack and set it on his counter, along with the foraged items I had been carrying. "Good to see you too, and I've brought in my first harvest. It looks like you were right about the farm." I didn't know why, but it didn't feel right to share with him what I had shared with Robin. At least, not yet.

I unzipped the pack to show him, and Pierre eagerly began pulling out the parsnips and inspecting them. "These are marvelous, Chris. I don't think you're going to have any problem at all if you keep this up." He pulled all the parsnips out and laid them on the counter, putting them into two groups based on size. "Right, this bunch I'll give you the minimum price for, thirty-five gold apiece." I could tell they were, for the most part, divided along the lines of what I had planted that first morning, and what I had planted that first evening. "These though," he said, indicating the group of thicker and longer parsnips, "I'll give you forty-three gold apiece."

I smiled at the prices and told him he had a deal. "I'm surprised though, don't you want to weigh them or measure them first?"

Pierre laughed good-naturedly at the question. "When you've been doing this as long as I have, you don't need to." He then demonstrated his knowledge by giving me a number, then put the group of larger parsnips on a scale in the back. True to his word, the number matched exactly.

"And I take it you want to sell these as well?" he asked, indicating the foraged items. I took a daffodil in hand and nodded, "Yeah, except for this one." He raised an eyebrow at that, a knowing look on his face, but didn't press the issue and instead gave me a total for the remaining flowers and wild vegetables.

He started to count out bills for me, but I just held up a hand. "I'll be spending all of that on new seeds, and more," I said, before perusing the seed counter. Along with the money I had made fishing, I had quite a bit to spend, more than twice as much as I had when I came into town. Still keeping the strawberries in mind, I bought several packets of potatoes, kale, and more parsnips as well. Taking them all over to the counter I had Pierre ring me up. Even with my store credit, I still had to fork over a couple hundred gold, but I knew I would be seeing the returns within a week.

"I noticed you barely fit everything you had in your pack there this morning," Pierre said, walking over to a display. "I just got these in, great packs for the outdoors, lots of pockets and internal capacity. I just thought you might like to keep them in mind for the future."

I took one of the packs down and gave it a thorough look. I was impressed. The material was light, but still heavy-duty, and there seemed to be more pockets than I could count. There was a strap to go around my waist as well, which I knew helped relieve the strain on the shoulders and upper back. "They're great Pierre, and I'm sure I'll be buying on fairly soon, but this reminds me of something I wanted to talk to you about." I pulled out the flier I had gotten in the mail and put it on the counter. He looked slightly embarrassed, and I hated to do this, but I figured it would be for the best.

"When I first saw this, I thought it was an ad for JojaMart." He flinched slightly at the name, but I continued. "I didn't tell you this when we first met, but I actually worked for Joja before I came here, and I hated it. I came to the valley to get away from them, and everything else that was as profit-driven as they were. Meeting the people here, and finding a store like this," I said, spreading my arms and looking around at the setup, "was a tremendous relief."

Pierre sighed and picked up the flier. "I'll admit, I was worried I'd lose you to JojaMart. I still am, to be honest. Having the Blue Star up and running again could be a tremendous blessing for my family, but I just can't match their prices on everything. I knew you were from the city, so I thought maybe something like this would get your attention."

I chuckled, "It did get my attention, but for the wrong reasons. I don't want to do business with JojaMart, I want to do business with you. I don't care if they offer me seed for free, I won't take it. Not from them." I had said the same to Abigail, but apparently, she hadn't shared that with her father, and I wondered why. She had said she didn't want to worry him about anything he hadn't already considered, but I couldn't understand how this could have possibly upset him.

Pierre looked relieved though. "Well, that's good news to hear, and I'll even see what I can do about bulk discounts for you when your volumes pick up. Think of it as my way of saying thanks." I reached out and shook his hand again, glad to be forging a human connection rather than a business connection.

"Anyway," I offered, wincing at the how nervous I sounded, "Is Abigail here?"

That look in his eyes was back, but at least it wasn't anything that looked like I was in trouble. "Yeah, she is," he said, pointing to the door in the back. "Right through there, she'll either be in her room on the left, or in the kitchen with her mother, which is on the far side of the house." I smiled at him and headed toward the door. "And Chris?" he added, "You're welcome in our home any time."

I thanked him and stepped through the door into a hallway. To my right was a closed door, and what looked to be a very large living room. To my left was another closed door, from which I heard the telltale sounds of a video game being played, along with some frustrated yelling. I chuckled and knocked on the door.

"Not now, I'm busy!" came her voice.

"Too busy for me?" I replied.

The sounds of the game quickly cut off, and I heard her footsteps rushing toward the door before it was yanked open. I quickly found my vision cut off by flying purple hair, and my air supply cut off by the hug she was giving me. "Chris! What are you doing here?" she asked after she had pulled away.

I chuckled and held out the daffodil I had been holding behind my back. "I came to see you, naturally. Had some parsnips to sell, but that was just icing on the cake." She laughed and took the flower, bringing it up to her nose to smell. "Did I do better with this one?" I asked.

She turned and walked into her room, sliding it into a vase that held the flower I had given her on our walk. I was surprised she kept it, but she just turned and gave me a wink. "A little bit, but I think you'd get better mileage out of one of these by giving it to Emily, Haley, or even Leah."

I leaned against the doorframe and stroked my chin as if deep in thought. "I see. So are you trying to set me up with another girl, or trying to hint that flowers, in general, are the wrong approach to take with you?"

She laughed and sauntered up to me. "You'll just have to figure that one out for yourself, farmer boy. I'll give you a hint though. While I do like flowers, _those_ are little more than weeds. And if you really want to sweep me off my feet, flowers just aren't going to cut it."

I nodded along, keeping the serious expression on my face. "Got it. No more flowers for Abby."

"Hey! That's not what I meant and you know it!" she exclaimed, followed by an adorable pout. I couldn't keep my composure any longer, breaking out into laughter. She tried to hold the pout, but soon joined in the laughter and grabbed my arm. "Come on farmer boy, you're just in time. I got this new game and I can't even get past the first level! It's two-player, so I need your help."

I looked at the cartridge in her system. "Journey of the Prairie King? Okay, a few things. First of all, you can't call that a 'new' game. It's practically as old as we are. Second, you really meant it when you said you were in retro gaming, didn't you?" She just smiled and nodded eagerly, so I continued. "And lastly, I'd love to help."

She squealed and threw her arms around me, then dropped to a cushion on the floor and held out a controller. It took me some time to reacquaint myself with the retro control scheme, but after about an hour of play, we finally managed to beat the first level. I had forgotten how difficult games used to be. These days they all came with hand-holding tutorials and started players off on the easiest difficulty levels. If I was remembering correctly, the Prairie King games didn't even have difficulty levels. Just 'nearly impossible'.

When we beat the level, Abigail squealed again and tackled me to the floor. "Oh Yoba, that was so much fun! Thank you, Chris!" I returned her hug and gently laid my head on the floor, deciding that I really loved seeing her this happy. Out of the corner of my eye though, I saw the open bedroom door, realized just how compromising our current position was, and really didn't want either of her parents walking by at that moment, so I tapped her on the shoulder.

"Abby? As much as I'm enjoying this, I think we should get up."

"Huh? Oh!" she exclaimed, scrambling back up into a sitting position with a cute blush on her face. "Sorry, I just didn't think I'd ever get past that level. Do you want to keep playing?"

I was about to agree when my stomach rumbled. "Oh, um, I actually haven't eaten breakfast yet. I should go and get something, is the saloon open this early?"

Abigail looked at me with a terrifying expression. "Chris Davies, you can't skip meals, especially when you work so hard and live so far away. Come on, I'll make you something," she said. She stood up and grabbed my hand, pulling me to my feet and dragging me along behind her as she made her way through the house. She stopped at corners to look and listen, and seemed to sign in relief when we made it to the kitchen without seeing anyone. It was obvious that something was going on between her and her parents, but I had no idea what it was and didn't want to pry.

"So, are you heading back home soon, or are you going to spend the day in town with me?" she asked as she began cracking eggs and whipping up a batch of pancake mix.

I joined her, not wanting to let her do everything for me, and considered. I could plant my new crops tomorrow or the next day and still have time before the egg hunt, but it was going to be raining at least one of those days and I wasn't sure how to plant in the rain, or if I even should. "You know about the strawberry seed thing?" I asked, to which she nodded. "Well, I really need to get this new batch of seeds planted soon." I could see the disappointment on her face, so I nudged her shoulder playfully. "I've got a couple hours though if you'd like to go for a walk. I'd like to relax near the fountain or the river. Plus, I'll be coming back to see what a Friday night at the saloon is like when I'm done working tonight."

She picked up at the news and started talking about all the other games she had for her console, saying we should play them together sometime. I just listened and hummed in agreement as we cooked, enjoying her company and contagious attitude. At one point, I heard quiet footsteps behind us and turned to see a woman with green hair standing in the entryway to the kitchen with a wide smile on her face. I could see the resemblance to Abigail and figured this was her mother, but as I opened my mouth to introduce myself, she raised a finger to her lips and walked away.

Abigail didn't notice the interaction, as she was currently describing a space-shooter that she particularly enjoyed, and I found myself getting more and more curious as to what was going on between her and her parents. Her mother looked very happy, but why didn't she want to interrupt? Did none of them get along? I remembered the scowl Abigail had on her face when I first saw her, and thought back to her yells of frustration before I had knocked today, and found myself wondering just how happy my new friend usually was. _Old friend_ , I reminded myself.

Soon enough, the food was ready, and we sat at the table talking while I ate. Well, Abigail talked while I ate. She scolded me again for neglecting my health and made me promise not to skip any more meals. I quickly agreed, mostly because I didn't like the way she was looking at me, but I also knew she was right. I had just been excited today, and besides, enjoying a warm meal with her to keep me company wasn't a terrible punishment. _In fact, maybe I'll skip breakfast again sometime soon,_ I thought, trying not to let my grin give away what I was thinking.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Another chapter down! I keep thinking I'm going to get to a part of the story I'm looking forward to, and then I just don't. Oh well, I hope you all enjoy how this is turning out.

Also, I've added an updated note to the first chapter and changed both the pairing and the rating on the story. I hope this doesn't turn anyone off of the story. It's still going to be Chris x Leah, but Abigail is going to become involved in their relationship to a certain degree as well. I apologize if anyone is uncomfortable with polyamory or topics such as asexuality, but it just snuck up on me. I'm not extremely familiar with either topic, but I'm doing my due-diligence and hope I can do them justice when the time comes. As always, thanks for reading!


	10. The Artist

After we finished with breakfast, Abigail pulled me out the back door and we made our way up the hill toward the fountain. When we got there I sat down on one of the benches, but Abigail groaned and pulled me back to my feet. "Don't be so boring," she complained. She led me over to a clear patch of grass and sat down, patting the ground beside her with an exasperated look when I didn't immediately follow her example. I sat down next to her, amused. When she grabbed my shoulders and shoved me to the ground though, I yelped in surprise. I heard giggling while she laid down on her back next to me, close enough that our shoulders were touching. "Why would you want to sit on an uncomfortable bench when we could lay in the grass and look at the clouds?" she asked.

In response, I just chuckled. Abigail had such a zest for life that even relaxing in the 'wrong' way wasn't to be allowed. It wasn't a particularly cloudy day, so as I absentmindedly looked for shapes in the sky, my thoughts drifted to the girl laying next to me. Not for the first time, I wondered how I could be so comfortable with her. We had only been reunited for a few days, and the time we spent together as children wasn't much longer than that. _Were we this connected from the beginning?_ I asked myself, _Or, did the Junimos do something to make us closer?_

Then again, maybe it was just because she acted so comfortably around me. She was witty and intelligent, not to mention attractive, and had such an ease about her, I could see anybody being caught up in the phenomenon that was Abigail. It seemed like it would be easy for any guy to develop feelings for her, but I didn't want to go too far down that path if it was just going to lead to heartache. Pointing up at a random, shapeless cloud, I deadpanned, "Junimo." Abigail barked out a laugh, then lightly smacked my arm.

"Dork," she said.

"You're not wrong," I replied. After a few moments of silence, I decided to get it over with. There was probably a better way to handle this, but I never was one for playing games. "Hey, Abby? Do you… act like this with all your friends?"

She turned to lay on her stomach, head resting on her hands, and looked at me. "How do you mean?"

I turned my head to meet her gaze, almost getting lost in brilliant eyes that reflected the color of the sky, then looked back up at the clouds to focus my thoughts. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, I just…" I sighed, sitting up, and Abigail followed suit.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, taking my hands in hers. "You can talk to me about anything, Chris."

I smiled. "I know, I just don't know how to put this, exactly." I took in a deep breath and looked her in the eyes. "You've been very tactile with me," I said, glancing down at our joined hands for emphasis. "I was just wondering, are you like this with all of your friends, or does it have to do with what we shared as kids, or is it... something else?"

"Oh," she said, as realization hit her. She lowered her head, hiding behind a curtain of hair that fell across her face, but not before I saw her smile vanish, along with the ever-present sparkle in her eyes. She started to pull her hands away from mine, but I gripped them tighter.

"I didn't mean to upset you," I scrambled to salvage the situation. "I also didn't want to assume anything, I just wanted to make sure there weren't any misunderstandings."

The silence stretched on for far too long for my liking, as I wondered if I had ruined everything. "I'm sorry," she finally whispered. "I wasn't trying to give you the wrong impression." She looked back up at me, and I could see the sadness in her eyes. "I don't act like this with anyone else. I like you, Chris. I like how easy it is to be myself around you, I'm just not interested in a relationship like that." She moved to pull her hands out from mine again, and this time I let go. "I'm sorry," she repeated. "I can try to hold back around you."

I immediately regretted my decision and reached forward to take her hands back in mine. "Hey, none of that. You haven't done anything wrong, and I don't want you to hold back. Like I said, I'm not complaining. I'm just a boy, and like every other boy, I need big, flashing, neon signs to understand what's going on." I chuckled and raised a hand to wipe away a tear that was making its way down her cheek, glad that she laughed along. "I like you too, and I love what we have. I wouldn't want to lose it for anything."

She lunged forward and threw her arms around me. I felt damp tears on my neck, but I could tell they were tears of relief, so I wrapped my arms around her and rubbed circles on her back. "Forgive me for turning a lovely day into an incredibly awkward moment?" I asked playfully.

Her shoulders shook with laughter, and I heard her muffled voice, "Sure thing, farmer boy."

* * *

Later that day, as I planted my new seeds, I thought back over how the rest of my day with Abigail had gone. After clearing the air, we had laid back down on the grass to continue our cloud watching. I was relieved that things hadn't suddenly become awkward, and looking back, I realized that whatever it was that we shared hadn't changed. If anything, it actually felt like our connection had strengthened. I couldn't help but smile as I recalled taking her hand as we laid side by side. Maybe I didn't know exactly how to label what we had, but that wasn't important. She was Abigail, that was all that mattered.

When I finished, I stood and checked my watch. There was still plenty of time before I needed to get ready and leave, but as I looked around at the slowly changing farm, I didn't feel a need to push things. More and more, I was letting my heart make my choices for me, and my heart wasn't telling me that I needed to spend every free hour working. Instead, I decided to shower and get dressed for the evening, then pulled my guitar out of its case and sat on the porch, playing a few songs as I enjoyed the weather. _This is nice,_ I thought to myself. _I can't remember the last time I felt this good._ That thought pulled me from my playing, and I realized that I hadn't had a single panic attack since I had come here. Seeing how run down the Blue Star was when I first arrived was the closest I came, but even that was nothing compared to what the grind in the city did to me on a routine basis. I smiled and continued playing until my fingers began to hurt. _I'll have to make more time for playing,_ I thought as I rubbed my fingers.

Checking my watch again, I decided to head into town. It was still a bit earlier than I had planned, but I found myself eager to see the inside of the saloon. Along the way, I noticed a few potential forageables, but I hadn't brought my backpack and didn't want to dirty myself even if I had.

When I entered the saloon, I was surprised to be the first one there, aside from the staff. "Hi Gus," I called, seeing the portly man behind the bar, polishing glasses. "I didn't make a reservation, think you can squeeze me in?" I teased.

Gus laughed. "Good to see you again Chris. I think we can find a table for you. You're a bit early though, most don't start coming in until six or seven. I don't know if you've met, but this is Emily, she helps with the evening rush." He pointed to a blue-haired girl who was stocking a shelf with her back turned to me.

Emily turned at hearing her name and gave me a wide smile. "Oh, you're the new farmer, you've been the talk of the town I'll have you know! Nice to meet you!" She stepped down from the footstool she had been standing on, ran around the bar, and stood quite close to me, looking me up and down with her hand on her chin. "Ooh! You're fitting in quite well here, aren't you?" She said after finishing her inspection. "The valley agrees with you, I can see it in your eyes. You need to eat more though, all that hard work puts more of a strain on your body than anything you could have done in the city. What would you like for dinner?" she asked, already making her way back around the counter.

I couldn't help but chuckle, wondering if all the girls in town were so unique and… lively. "I'd like a pizza actually, something to share with new friends."

Emily frowned, then started walking toward a back room. "Well, since it's your first time in here, fine. But next time, you're eating something healthier!"

I chuckled again. "She's energetic, isn't she?" I remarked to Gus.

"That she is," he agreed. "Wonderful worker, just don't go trying to steal her from me to work on that farm of yours." I laughed along with him. Somehow Emily didn't seem like the type for manual labor. "Can I get you a drink?" Gus asked.

"I'll take a juice if you have it, water if not," I responded.

Gus pulled a bottle of apple juice out of an ice tray. "Just leave the bottle on the counter when you're done, we're big on recycling here." I nodded, then turned as he pointed to the side of the room where an open door frame stood below a neon sign reading 'Arcade'. "The younger folk generally hang out in there," he offered. "TV, pool table, couches, and games. Should keep you entertained until people start showing up. Pizza will be done in half an hour or so."

I nodded and rapped my knuckles on the bar, then walked into the side room. The first thing that caught my attention made me laugh. It was an arcade version of _Journey of the Prairie King_. The hi-score list was full of boys names, and I wondered if Abigail would be mad or proud if I got my name on it. _Only one way to find out,_ I thought, putting a coin in and starting to play. I learned a bit more about the game playing it by myself. Picking up a special item while already carrying one activated it immediately, coffee made you run faster, and the coins that would drop would disappear after a short amount of time. I came across a new special item that turned me into a zombie and let me kill enemies just by running into them. That was fun, but also dangerous as there wasn't much warning when you were about to turn back. Another item teleported me and confused the enemies, causing them to freeze for a few moments. I managed to beat the first level and moved on to the next with four extra lives and six coins.

The second level was brutal, and I began to realize how important the random number generator was. I had several large waves come at me from all sides, with no special items dropping. It just wasn't possible to shoot fast enough to kill them all, or even make an avenue of escape. After losing two of my lives, I finally picked up a shotgun. Then another. And another. Those weapons easily carried me through the second level, when I was approached by an NPC selling items. I wasn't sure what they all did. The boots likely increased my movement speed, but I was more concerned with killing than moving quickly. There was a gun upgrade, and an expensive box I couldn't afford, so I went with the gun upgrade. I found out that it increased my firing speed. _Well, that's useful,_ I thought. It was, but I clearly needed to work on my strategy. Each level had different fences that drastically changed the gameplay, and on the third level, I kept getting myself killed trying to get to the power-ups.

I could have gotten frustrated, but I was finding the game to be enjoyable. My second playthrough was a disaster, as I found myself making some rookie mistakes. I was still getting used to the control scheme, and would occasionally get my movement direction keys and fire direction keys mixed up. My next playthrough went quite well. I was figuring out how to use the fences to my advantage, and got some lucky power-ups, although I still lost more extra lives than I was comfortable with. The NPC showed up again, and I decided to go for the box powerup. It turned out to make my bullets more powerful, bringing down tougher opponents more quickly, but perhaps more importantly, piercing the weaker opponents and taking out two with one shot.

The next level was a boss level, with a man who shot at me from one side of the screen with a wide fence to hide behind, while I only had a narrow fence of my own. It only took me twenty seconds to figure out his pattern though, and find an easy exploit. After that, I ended up in a new 'area' with all new enemies and obstacles. I was sad to find that I didn't last long. I put my name in the machine, and was surprised to find myself in sixth place. The scores from second to tenth were all very close, with a noticeable gap between second and first. I surmised that the area I had died in was pretty difficult to get past. _Oh well,_ I thought. _Maybe with a little more practice, I can get up to first._

"Not bad, Chris," came a voice from behind me. I turned to see a blond-haired boy who looked like he was just out of high school. "You must be the new guy, I'm Sam."

"Huh? How'd you…" I started, then looked at my flashing name on the screen. "Oh. Heh, thanks Sam, it's nice to meet you. Abigail has told me a little about you, she invited me to come and hang out tonight."

"Is that right?" he asked with a smirk on his face. "Already getting to know the ladies?"

"Something like that," I said with a laugh. "Abigail gave me a tour of the town when I first showed up. I've only met her, Emily, and now you, not counting some of the adults." I paused. "The older adults, that is."

He laughed at that. "Hey, I understand. I think it will be a long time before I think of myself as an adult. Fancy a game of pool?" he asked, already setting up the table.

"Sure, why not?" I said. I had only played pool a couple of times in my life, and it showed. Sam destroyed me, and I had the feeling he was holding back, but he was generous in victory.

"Don't worry about it, all you need is some practice," he told me after sinking the eight ball. "Stay in town long enough and you'll get plenty of it, not like there's a whole lot of options around here anyway."

"I'm planning on staying a long time," I said, before realizing there were more voices coming from the main room. "I'm going to go check on the pizza I ordered, you're welcome to have a few slices when it's done." He thanked me and I walked back into the main room, surprised to see half a dozen new people milling about. The arcade room was more isolated from the noise than I had anticipated.

I walked up to the end of the bar where Emily was filling drinks. "How's the pizza coming?" I asked.

She looked up at me with that huge smile of hers. "About ten more minutes. Sorry about the wait, but we make everything fresh here. You can have a regular, or call ahead if you don't want to wait next time."

"It's no problem, I'm looking forward to it," I responded. I looked to my right where a disheveled-looking guy was leaning against the wall, sipping from a beer. Well, sipping wasn't the right word. "Hey, I'm Chris," I said, offering my hand.

He looked down at my hand, then back up at me, face expressionless. "I don't know you, why are you talking to me?"

"Oh, I'm just new in town, thought I would introduce myself, that's all," I replied, taken aback.

"Look, I'm here to drink, not socialize. Just leave me alone," was his response.

Not knowing what else to say or do, I just stood there awkwardly for a moment. _I guess not everybody in town is all sunshine and rainbows,_ I thought.

"Chris, glad you made it!" came the familiar voice of the mayor. Grateful for the distraction, I turned to shake his hand. "It's good for you to take a break now and then. Your grandfather, bless his soul, always worked himself too hard in my opinion. So, how were your first nights in the old cottage?"

I spent a few minutes chatting with the mayor, telling him about how things had been going, before he began introducing me to the others in the bar. There was Willy, still smelling of fish, who was talking to the blacksmith. I met Harvey, the local doctor, Pam, who was a gruff woman, but friendly enough, and Marnie.

"I met Rocinante the other day," I told her. "She's a beautiful horse, incredibly friendly too."

Marnie seemed surprised at that. "Really? She was one of the most stubborn foals I ever raised. I'm glad she took to you though. Are you looking for a horse to help around the farm?" she asked.

I wouldn't lie, the idea appealed to me. It would make traveling to town and back a lot easier, and probably solve the problem of how much I could carry to Pierre's as well. "Not at the moment," I finally said. "I have a rough estimate of what that would cost, and it's going to be a while before I'm growing enough to be able to justify that."

"Well, she's young still, so keep her in mind if I don't find another buyer," replied Marnie. I nodded, then turned my head toward a table in the corner where a girl was drawing in a sketch pad. _Ten bucks says that's Leah,_ I mentally bet myself. She had flaming orange hair that fell across her shoulder in a thick braid, was dressed in neutral forest colors that matched her cabin, and was sticking her tongue out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on her drawing.

"If you'll excuse me," I said to Lewis and Marnie, before walking over to her table. She looked up as I approached, watching me with her violet eyes, eyebrows raised. I glanced at her sketchbook, seeing a rough drawing of the people in the saloon. I knew enough about art to know it was just a sketch, just laying down forms and figures, but it looked surprisingly alive for a piece at that stage. "Hi, I'm Chris," I said, offering my hand. "You wouldn't happen to be Leah, would you?"

She had started to return my handshake but paused when I said her name. I could see suspicion in her eyes as she looked me over. "I am," she replied, tentatively shaking my hand.

"Sorry, Abigail told me there was an artist living in that lovely cabin by the river. I saw you drawing and put two and two together." I pointed at her sketchbook, which she was slowly pulling toward herself as if wanting to protect it. "It's amazing how much life you managed to put into a sketch like that."

She stopped moving the sketchbook and looked down at what she had drawn, then back up to me. I could still see the hesitation in her eyes, a wall of sorts that she had up. But unlike with Shane, I wasn't put off by it, I felt like they were walls I wanted to see behind.

"It's nothing, just a rough sketch," she said.

"Still," I replied, taking a seat at the table. "I've tried my hand at art before, but I never was very good at it. My poses always end up stiff and unnatural. I think it's because I want to follow steps and rules too much. Everything you've drawn here is flowing, even the objects. It's really good."

She watched me as I spoke, and I could see the walls being lowered just a little bit. It was obvious how much she cared about her artwork, even 'just' the rough sketches. "You really think so?" she asked.

"Definitely," I replied. "I'm guessing those pieces on the notice board at Pierre's are yours too. Do you do anything else? Paint or charcoal?"

"Yeah, almost everything," she said, leaning back and relaxing a bit more. "Watercolor, oil, acrylic, pastel. I carve too, just about the only thing I don't do is sculpture. Something about stone... I've never enjoyed working with it."

"Wow," I said, thoroughly impressed. "Sounds like quite the resume. Pencil is the only thing I ever tried to stick with. Painting, well, let's just say I'm really messy with paints." She chuckled at that, but I didn't want to embarass myself too badly by saying more. "Watercolor always just turned into a muddy mess. Charcoal gets everywhere and I hate that. I've never tried sculpting or carving though, the closest I came to that would be my third-grade arts and crafts project. It was an ashtray." She burst into laughter when I admitted that. I liked the sparkle in her eyes when she laughed a lot more than the guarded look she had earlier.

"Everybody makes an ashtray in third grade. Couldn't you think of anything else?" she asked when she regained control of herself.

"Well," I started. _How to put this?_ I wondered. "Let's just say there was a large gap between what my imagination and my hands were capable of." She laughed again, and I decided the embarrassment was worth it.

"Nobody starts out making masterpieces, you know? Everyone you've ever heard of started with stick figures and lumps that only a parent could be proud of. You just have to work at it."

"I know," I replied. I really did. Take my guitar for example. I wasn't amazing with it, but for the amount of time I had put into it, I knew I was better than I had any right to be. I had just never had the drive to put in the hours upon hours upon hours of work it took to really develop any of my talents. "I really do. It's just not something that I was ever passionate enough about to want to put in the work."

"As long as you understand," she said. "It bugs me when people act like talent is something you're just born with. I mean, yeah I think everyone has different things they are good at, but I've put a lot of effort into my art. It's annoying to hear people wave that effort off as 'just talent'."

I nodded along. "That would be annoying. I think trying to make a living as an artist is hard enough without people being insensitive about it. I think it actually makes art more enjoyable and… respectable when you understand how much work goes into it. Some people work their whole lives only to have one piece become well known… that takes dedication."

"Yeah, it's hard to make a name for yourself, that's for sure," she agreed.

Just then the door to the saloon flew open and in came Abigail. She stopped and looked around until she saw me, and I could see a storm brewing in her eyes. She took a step toward our table, paused, then turned and headed into the arcade room. I looked at Leah who was watching me with her eyebrows furrowed, then stood up.

"Sorry, but I need to go. It was nice meeting you, Leah. Would you mind if I stopped by your cabin sometime? I'd love to see more of your art."

She looked over at the doorway to the arcade room, then up at me. I couldn't tell what she was thinking, I just knew Abigail had mentioned her enough to know that they were at least friendly with each other, and I hoped Leah didn't think I had upset her friend. _I didn't upset Abby, did I?_ I found myself wondering.

"No, I wouldn't mind," she finally said. "Just don't drop by too early, I'm not much of a morning person."

"Great, I'll probably come by next week. Have a nice night," I said with a smile, then turned to go find out what was bothering Abigail so much.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : I apologize for how long it's been since I updated. I struggle with depression and anxiety, and I've been a bit down lately. I don't like to push myself on projects when that happens, which is why I said in an earlier note that I don't have a planned schedule for releasing new chapters. It might be once a month, or three in a day.

I was so excited to finally get to write Leah. There's a lot going on in my head for all the characters in this story, but I'm limited to what I can put out there in first person(at least, as far as I know how to write it). If anything about the characters seems strange, I hope it will make sense as you get to know my versions of them as Chris does.

I also realize that some people might find the little bit of drama with Abigail strange, but that's because of a bit of myself that I've put into Chris. I truly hate the relationship games a lot of people like to play, and prefer to just be up-front about feelings. I didn't want it to seem like forced drama, so I hope it didn't come across that way.

Anyway, thanks for reading, as always. Until next time!


	11. A Night with Friends

It didn't take long to cross the increasingly-crowded room and make my way into the arcade room. Sam, who was playing pool with the guy I had met at the pier, looked up as I walked in. "Careful," he said as I made my way over to the sofa Abigail was sitting in, "She'll bite your head off when she's like this."

"Go and stuff that pool cue where the sun don't shine," she snapped back. Sam held his hands up in a placating gesture, then looked at me with raised eyebrows as if to say 'See what I mean?'

I walked over and clapped a hand on Sam's shoulder. "Much to learn, you still have, young padawan," I whispered, then sat down next to Abigail.

To the obvious surprise of the other occupants in the room, rather than bite my head off, she tucked her legs underneath herself, then curled up into my side. I put my arm around her and rubbed circles into her back, sending a wink to Sam.

"So, is it something you want to talk about?" I asked her after a minute. I couldn't see her face as it was tucked into my neck, while she drew patterns on my shirt.

"It's just my parents being stupid," she replied, quietly, after several long seconds. "They cornered me to talk about us and how happy I've been and how they're so glad I finally found someone, I swear they're already planning our wedding. They don't listen to me either, I tried to tell them, but they seriously just don't listen."

"Yikes," I said. Now that I knew what Abigail wanted, or more specifically, what she didn't want, I could understand how frustrating it would be to have your parents focusing on that. "Do you want me to talk to them? Your dad and I are on pretty good terms, and if I can do something to help, I want to."

She thought for a moment, still drawing circles on my chest, then her arm slid around me to wrap me in a hug. "I don't know. Maybe? They just think that all my problems will be solved when I find Mr. Right, get married, and have babies. And all 'my problems' are just things about me that they don't like, things that I'm perfectly happy with. Whenever I try to explain to them, they just take whatever I say as excuses or just not knowing any better."

"I'm sorry you're struggling with that," I said, giving her a squeeze which was returned.

At that moment, Leah poked around the corner of the doorframe. Her eyebrows were raised in surprise, and it looked like she had been about to say something and then forgot. Recovering after a moment, she walked up to us and put a hand on Abigail's shoulder. "Hey, is everything okay?"

Abigail looked up with a faint smile and nodded. "Yeah, just more of the same old. Chris is really good at calming me down."

"I can see that," Leah said with a grin. "You two look pretty comfortable with each other. Didn't you only meet less than a week ago?"

"We were actually something of childhood friends," I answered. "We were able to pick back up where we had left off." Abigail hummed happily and squirmed back into the crook of my neck, which put a smile on my face as well.

"Well that's good, you two are cute together. I was just doing my duty of making sure the new guy hadn't hurt my good friend somehow. No offense, Chris."

"None taken," I replied. "I would have done the same."

"Well, I've done my duty and I've drawn some sketches. I think I'll be heading back home," she finally said, already stepping away.

Abigail's head popped up. "What? Noooo. Stay with us for a while!" Leah hesitated, and that was all Abigail needed. She lunged for Leah's arm and yanked her down toward the sofa. Leah and I both yelped in surprise but gave in as Abigail got to work rearranging limbs. Leah ended up reclining in Abigail's arms with her legs lying across my own. I had my hands in the air, unsure of where to put them, and ended up rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly while I looked sideways at Abigail.

"I haven't seen you all week, and now you want to leave already? I bet you're lonely and just didn't want to make a fuss. You needed cuddles, didn't you?" Abigail's hands found their ways to Leah's sides, and she began to ruthlessly tickle her friend. Leah, it appeared, was extremely ticklish, and I was sure I was going to have several bruises with the way her legs were flying about.

"No! Please! Stop, please! No!" She continued to protest whenever she could fit something in between laughs, but Abigail kept up her onslaught for the better part of a minute. When she finally stopped, Leah let out a long sigh and practically melted on the spot.

"Feeling better?" asked Abigail.

"Mmmm. Much, thank you. I just didn't want to intrude on the two of you," Leah said, looking guilty.

"Nonsense," replied Abigail. "You're always welcome with us. Right, Chris?"

I chuckled, "She's right, and you should know not to try and argue with her. You'll never win."

Abigail nodded her head with a look of supreme satisfaction on her face, then snuggled deeper into her cuddles with Leah. "You smell like the forest," she said as she buried her face in Leah's hair. For her part, Leah just mumbled something and started playing absentmindedly with her braid.

"I wasn't sure how well you two know each other, but it appears to be better than I expected," I noted.

"Abigail was very helpful when I move into the cabin," replied Leah. "She was my first friend in town, helped with some projects, and we usually hang out quite a bit."

"We haven't done that enough recently," added Abigail. "How about the three of us have a picnic as soon as the salmonberries start growing? We could have something from Chris' farm, and fish with a berry sauce. It would be delicious."

"Sounds great. Can you cook all that?" I asked.

"Yeah," replied Abigail, but a frown appeared on her face. "My mom can cook anything, and she has taught me a lot. I enjoy cooking, I really do, I just hate how it's always been 'Learn to cook this dear, one day your husband will love you for it' or some bs like that."

"I'm sorry she hasn't given up on that yet," said Leah, reaching up to rub Abigail's shoulder. "They'll figure it out soon, I can feel it. They'll understand what you want and what makes you happy."

"Yeah," I added, reaching over to rub her ankle. "And in the meantime, we'll just focus on the good stuff. Life's too short to spend it worrying."

Abigail looked back and forth between us with tears building in her eyes. "Man, you two are so sweet, I'm glad I have both of you in my life."

"So am I," we both said.

* * *

Pizza came, slices were shared, TV was watched, and games of pool were played. For the most part, we stuck to our little group of three for the night, but occasionally Sam or Sebastian would join us to talk about something. I showed my hi-score on the game to Abigail and she swatted my arm as Leah watched and chuckled at us. "Jerk! I've been trying to get up there for months and you manage it your first try?"

"Well, technically it was my second try," I defended. "Wait, is that why you got it for your home system, so you can practice and get better, all to get your name on this machine?"

Leah burst into laughter, and Abigail crossed her arms across her chest. "So what if I did?" she challenged, a dangerous look in her eye.

"No, that's perfectly fine, nothing wrong with that at all," I backpedaled. I looked at Leah for some help, but she had fallen off the sofa from laughing too hard. "Uh, how about we have a weekly practice session, and we'll get you all the way up to first place?"

I could tell she was trying to hold 'the look' she was giving me, but the idea of being in first place was too strong, so finally she broke into a smile and held out her hand. "Deal," she said, and we shook on it.

"You guys… are such… dorks…" Leah panted out from the floor.

I walked over and offered to help her up, which she took advantage of. "Yes, we are. You'd better run before you get infected."

Leah chuckled and shoved my shoulder. "It's probably too late for me, and you two are worth the risk anyway."

We heard Gus call out that he would be closing up soon, and I looked at the clock, surprised. It was nearly midnight. "Surely this is a prank, right? I mean, it was like seven-thirty just an hour ago, I'm pretty sure."

The girls both laughed and Abigail grabbed my arm. "You didn't have enough fun in the city, we're going to change that."

I smiled and pulled her into a hug. "Thanks for everything."

"No problem, farmer boy," she replied.

After that, we made our way outside, and just stood there enjoying the cool evening weather for a while. Finally, Leah spoke up. "Well, I should be heading back. Thanks again for tonight."

"Want me to walk you?" I asked, practically without thinking. I knew the valley was safer than the city, but it was ingrained into me that women didn't walk home in the dark by themselves. "Only if you want, no pressure."

Leah smiled, then looked at Abigail. They seemed to have a silent conversation that only lasted a few seconds. "Yeah, sure," she said.

"Great," I replied. I might not have the same connection with Leah as I did with Abigail, but she was still easy to get along with and fun to be around. I was glad I had met such wonderful girls to be friends with. "Let me just talk to Abigail for a minute, then we'll go."

I took Abigail's hands and pulled her off to the side so we could talk without being overheard. "I had a great time tonight, Abby. Think about what you might want to have me say to your parents, or if you want, I can just wing it. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know you're always welcome at the farm if you feel like you need some space from them. I never lock the door, so even if I'm not there, make yourself at home, okay?"

She gave me a hug when I finished. "Thanks, Chris, that means a lot to me. I might take you up on that offer. You should get going though, never keep a lady waiting. Oh, and remember what I said earlier? If you see any more daffodils, I'm sure Leah would love one," she said with a wink.

"Abby," I sighed. "I'm okay with what happened between us this afternoon. You don't need to try and set me up with someone else."

"It's not that," she said. "I just think you two would be cute together. And don't tell her I said this, but I can tell she likes you. Then again, what girl wouldn't?" she added with a smirk.

"Whatever," I finally said, "I'm not in a rush." That much was true. I wasn't particularly going out of my way to find someone, but I wasn't opposed to the idea either. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Yeah. Goodnight farmer boy," she said before leaning up to give me a kiss on the cheek. "Had to get that in before you're off the market," she added with a laugh.

"Goodnight," I said, laughing with her. I watched her head toward her home for a few seconds, then turned back toward Leah, shaking my head in amusement. Abigail was something else, that was for sure. "My apologies, I was just reprimanded for leaving a lady standing by herself. Are you ready to go, madam?" I asked, adding a bow for good measure.

"Why certainly sir," she replied with a curtsey.

I held out my arm as any good gentleman should, and she daintily put her hand on top. "Have you met Sir Elliot, by chance?" she asked me as we started walking.

"Uh… no?" I said stupidly. "I mean, I have not yet had the pleasure, it would seem."

Leah laughed at my slip-up. "What a shame! Sir Elliot is one of the finest writers of our time, and he just so happens to reside in a wonderful home just off the beach."

"Aah, so that's who lives there," I said, honestly too tired to keep up the charade and starting to feel a little stupid. "Are there any other creative types around town?"

"To some extent there are. Sam and Sebastian are trying to start a band, and Abigail plays the flute. Nobody else that's made a career out of it though," she explained. Abigail playing the flute was news to me, I'd have to get her to play for me some time.

"So Elliot's a writer, and you thought of him because we were acting like storybook characters? Think he would be inspired by it?" I asked.

Leah giggled. "Something like that. His dialogue would certainly be more flowery than yours was. Better than mine too, to be fair."

I hadn't planned on arguing the point, it had just been a spur of the moment thing anyway. "Yeah, sorry about that. I'm not usually so weird. I think Abby has been rubbing off on me."

"Don't apologize," responded Leah. "It's refreshing. One of the reasons I moved here was because I was so tired of how fake everyone was in the city. It felt like everyone was competing to see who could be the best robot, even in the art scene."

"Yeah, I get that," I answered. "Things are a lot nicer here. Everything's more colorful, the air is fresher, and _most_ of the people here are really nice."

Leah hummed. "Let me guess, Shane and Sebastian?"

"I met Sebastian briefly before tonight. He doesn't seem too bad, I think I just interrupted his alone time at the pier."

"Yeah, that's just who he is", she replied. "He and Sam are best friends, but did you notice how little they talk? Well, Sam talks, but Sebastian just listens."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with that," I defended. "Not everyone has to be as energetic as Abby all the time. Or half the time. Who's Shane though?"

"I saw you trying to talk to him. Tall, scruffy, and never without a beer in his hand?" came the reply.

"Ahh, him. Yeah, I don't know what his problem is," I said, not realizing the tone in my voice. "Such a killjoy."

Leah tugged at my arm, spinning me to face her when I said that. We were far enough from town that there was only the moonlight to see by, but I could tell she wasn't happy with me. "Hey, everybody has their demons, some just live closer to the surface than others. For all his faults, I've never seen him say anything bad about someone else, and definitely not behind their back."

I sighed and deflated. "You're right, I shouldn't judge." I stuffed my hands in my pockets and started walking down the road again. _Where did that come from?_ I asked myself, feeling a pit in my stomach. I considered myself a pretty good guy, but most people probably thought that way about themselves.

I heard Leah following behind me, but the friendly mood seemed to be ruined. "That was a pretty ugly thing to say, wasn't it?" I asked, simply getting a grunt of acknowledgment from her. "A pretty ugly thing to think too," I continued, working out my thoughts out loud. "I don't know, I guess he just reminded me of what I came here to get away from, but that's not fair to project my problems onto him."

The footsteps behind me quickened until Leah was walking next to me, looking up at my face. "Well, I guess you're not a total jerk, after all."

"Hey!" I protested, looking over and seeing her smirk.

"What?" she asked innocently. "At least I said it to your face."

I opened my mouth to retort, then shut it quickly. "I deserved that," I finally said. Leah laughed and picked up her pace, leaving me behind. I spotted a daffodil growing by a fence post and almost stopped to pick it, but decided against it. _Too soon,_ I thought, before hurrying to catch up with the fiery artist.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** As always, most of my plans have failed to survive the first contact with the enemy. I'm pleased with how this chapter turned out though. We got more Abigail, which is always good, and more Leah too, which is also always good. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, I'm really happy to see so many views on this story, and I hope I live up to your expectations.


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